Nightstalkers
by damageddementia
Summary: Adam and Christian want a third member to help them hunt demons. And it seems like Matt, spurred on by the death of his family, might be just the person they're looking for. But there's a secret about Matt that even he himself doesn't know...
1. The One Who Lived

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**I don't know where this one came from... but I had to pen it to get Matt, Christian, and Adam to leave me be. Probably a mix of influence from one of my favorite shows (Supernatural) and one of my favorite books series (the Demonata). Well, here's chapter one!**

**_Warning: There will be death, bloody battles, and other evil stuff. Some of your favorite wrestlers will be bad, bad demons. Some will die. Don't yell at me if that's not your cup of tea; I warned you._ **

**Chapter One: The One Who Lived**

"Excuse me?"

The receptionist to the Hellespont Psychiatric Facility looked up and saw two young men standing in front of her. Both were blond and good looking, but the one who spoke had short hair and an open face, while the other had long hair and was hiding behind a pair of shades.

"Yes?"

"My name is Dr. Christian Carter, and this is my partner, Dr. Adam Timberlake. We're here about the case study on the Hardy boy."

The woman looked through her papers. "Ah! Here you are! Yes, I see... hardly out of medical school, eh?"

Christian smiled; it was so easy to trick people sometimes. "Yeah. This is our first case study."

"Oh, and you picked a doozy." She stood up and motioned for them to follow her. She led them through the back and said, "Matthew Hardy's interesting as hell. Quiet, intelligent, and with this strong sense of dignity about him. He's read about all of our library in the two months he's been here, he's well behaved... it's hard to believe that he's insane."

"But he is?" Christian said. If it's so hard to believe, then open your eyes and actually listen to the guy!

"Oh, you should hear the stuff he says. Well-" She lowered her voice. "You heard about the Hardy family, right? Well, he's the only one who survived. He saw his father and brother die. He somehow escaped, and he went to the police, telling them some story about men who can blow people up!"

"How sure are you Matthew didn't kill them himself?" Christian asked. He liked messing with people, especially the oblivious ones.

"No nineteen year old boy could do what happened to Matthew's father. Biggest piece they found of him was a bone fragment about the size of a toenail." She shivered. "Gives me the willies, thinking about what he must have gone through. Well- here's the visitor's room. Wait here while I get Matthew."

*

_"Mattie... Mattie, help! Help me! No, stop, please... MATT!"_

Matt opened his eyes, the sound of Jeff's scream waking him from the dream. He wiped the sweat from his brow and thought about Jeff. Dad's final request- protect Jeff. And Matt wasn't good enough to do fucking that. He looked over at the Snoopy stuffed animal, the only thing he had in his room that the facility didn't provide for him. The reminder of how he screwed up.

The door opened and one of the workers, Selina Bradley, smiled at him. All of the workers at Hell's Spot Psychiatric Facility smiled at him like a freaking invalid or a cute little puppy with a broken leg. Couldn't they see he was completely fucking sane? His neighbors were a man who only said 'She knows' and a woman who thinks her teddy bear is her five year old son- how could they put him in the same boat as them?

"Matthew?" she said, speaking in a low voice, "You have visitors." Matt nodded and stood up, following her out. No matter how many times he said call me Matt, they always called him Matthew, so he stopped trying. Bastards.

Selina brought him to the room and sat him in the chair across from two blonde men. They didn't look that much older than him. "Matthew, this is Dr. Carter and Dr. Timberlake. They're using your case as a study. If you need anything, just knock on the door. I'll be right outside." She left, leaving Matt alone with the two men.

"Alright," Matt said, "Doctors my ass. Who the fuck are you, really?"

Adam and Christian exchanged glances; that was blunt. "We are," Christian said.

"Yeah. You're barely legal and your last names are pretty conveniently both lead singers from a boy band. Now, how about you be frank with me and tell me who the fuck you are."

Adam took off his shades and looked into Matt's eyes. "I told you, Christian. I told you he wasn't broken."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Matt said. Adam turned to him and smiled.

"I'm sorry. It's just not everyday I meet someone whose survived a demon attack who acts completely normal."

Matt stared at him. "You... you believe me?"

"Yup," Christian said, "Now, we've read your file, so we know how you described the guys means you're not insane. We don't have a picture of Mark... but we have one of Raven." He pulled a picture out of his pocket and gave it to Matt. He looked at it and the man was, without a doubt, the man who killed his father and little brother.

"You know him?" Matt asked, crumpling the picture.

"Not personally," Christian said, "We know of him. He's Raven, the demon of Nightmares. He can conjure up illusions of your worst nightmare and manipulate your dreams. And we also know of Mark, the Demon Master, who can do every evil thing you can think of. And... well, we're pretty interested in the fact that your family was targeted, and even more interested in the fact that you survived. Tell us the story, will you?"

Matt looked at them. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because, any detail might be important." Christian grabbed Matt's hand. "If it's not too painful, please. Tell us everything."

Matt shook his head. "It's not. What hurts isn't the story. What hurts is that I can't catch these fuckers and make them pay." Matt thought back to two months ago...

*

_Matt and Jeff went to the carnival with their friends that night. They went to Shannon's house first, then Shane's, then Marty's, until everyone was home but the brothers. Matt held his brother close as they went home._

_"Matt, can we go back tomorrow?" Jeff asked._

_"Why not?" Matt asked, "What, mad you didn't win the Snoopy?" Matt held up his Snoopy that he won from the water gun game, to taunt Jeff._

_Jeff pouted. "You should give me Snoopy!" He said, "You know I love Peanuts!"_

_"Too bad. You should've won your own," Matt said, sticking his tongue out. They walked to the door and opened it. "Dad!" Matt shouted, "Dad, we're back!"_

_Suddenly, a crash filled the house. Matt and Jeff walked around into the kitchen and saw two big men, one a devilish man with blond braids and a horrifying face and the other beyond explaining. He just exuded evil. The men were standing over their father and the broken china set._

_"Where is he?" The shorter one, the less scary one, asked, "When the Lord of Darkness asks you a question, you answer! Where the hell is he?"_

_Gil looked behind them at his boys, silently telling them to run. The shorter one didn't notice, but the taller one did. He turned around and looked at Matt and Jeff- and Matt was hit with a feeling of recognition. He somehow knew this personification of evil._

_"Look, Raven," he said, "Fate's delivered him to us." Matt pushed Jeff, screaming "Run!" Both Hardy brothers ran up the stairs, hearing their father scream run over and over again. "You know what, I tire of him. Raven, kill him while I go chase the boys."_

_"Matt!" Gil screamed, "Protect yourself and Jeff! RUN!" That was the last thing Matt heard from his father before a loud explosion filled their ears. Jeff screamed, but Matt couldn't. He was too shocked._

_"Come on," he said, pulling Jeff into their room. He opened the closet and pushed Jeff inside. Matt grabbed the bat he had and said, "Jeff, no matter what you hear, keep quiet, okay?" Jeff nodded, tears coming down his eyes. _

_"What about you?" he asked._

_"Don't worry about me. Just keep quiet." Jeff nodded and Matt closed the closet. He realized he was still holding the Snoopy, and wished he thought to give it to Jeff, but he threw it to the side of the room and waited by the doorway. He watched, waiting for the evil man. If his father was hurt..._

_He saw him, and he jumped out, swinging the bat as fast as he could. It connected with the man's body, but, to Matt's surprise, it broke on contact. "Oh no, young one," he said, laughing, "That'll have no effect on me." He grabbed Matt's arm and began pulling him back into the room. Matt punched and kicked the guy, trying to get him to let him go, but he held tightly._

_The man threw him on the bed and, suddenly, Raven appeared. "Well, hello there," he said, "I'm Raven." Raven sat next to Matt and began stroking his hair. "What's your name, pretty?"_

_"Raven!" The other man, obviously his leader, snapped._

_"What? I won't hurt him. I just want to play with him a little." Raven turned to Matt again, smiling like a twisted clown. "Well, pretty? What's your name?"_

_"Go to hell!" Matt screamed._

_Raven scratched his chin. "Gotohell... it's kind of long and definitely weird. But I like it." His hand moved down to Matt's forehead. "Hmm... your worst nightmare... well, isn't that interesting?"_

_"What is it, Raven?" The man asked._

_"Well, Master, he's not afraid for himself. He's got spunk, I'll give him that. He's afraid for the pretty little birdie in the closet."_

_"You leave Jeff a fucking lone!" Matt screamed, trying to get up, but Raven pushed him back down._

_"Sorry, Gotohell, but I've got orders about you and your brother. Got to follow them." He looked at his boss. "Well? Do you want Gotohell, or do you want... what did you call him?... oh, right. Jeff?"_

_Matt could feel his fear rising. "Please... don't hurt Jeff. You can have me. Just leave Jeff alone."_

_Then, Jeff came barreling out of the closet. "No! Leave Mattie alone!"_

_"Mattie?" Raven looked at Matt. "You lied to me! You said your name was Gotohell!"_

_"Jeff, run," Matt begged. But Jeff shook his head._

_"I'm not leaving you."_

_"Raven, I'll take Matthew. Just take care of Jeffrey." Raven smiled and stood up._

_"This'll be one kill that'll grace my mind for ages," Raven said, grabbing Jeff by the throat. _

_"No!" Matt screamed. He tried to rise, but he felt an invisible pressure on his body, holding him down. He was forced to watch as Raven pulled Jeff in and kissed him. He pushed him into the wall, and Matt would forever be haunted by what happened next._

_"Mattie... Mattie, help! Help me! No, stop, please... MATT!" Matt was forced to watch as Raven stuck his hand into Jeff's chest, grabbing his heart. He pulled it out and threw it to the ground, and then he threw Jeff's lifeless body down too._

_"No!" The pressure was lifted suddenly, and Matt ran out. Raven and his boss were so caught off guard by his sudden escape that it took them a moment to catch themselves._

_"Chase him!" The boss screamed. Matt saw Raven, and he went into the bathroom. He locked the door and ran to the window. He tried to lift the window, but it didn't go very high. If he were Jeff, he could possibly fit, but... not him._

_"Shit!" he shouted. He had to try. He put one leg through it, and then the other. He thought his butt would get caught, or even his stomach, but he fit out pretty easily. He let go and fell into the bush as he heard the door to the bathroom burst open._

_"Matthew! Come out, come out, where ever you are!" Raven sang. Matt ran, not saying anything so Raven wouldn't hear him. He ran straight to the police station and told them his story, but they didn't believe him. But, since Matt was frantic, they went back to the Hardy residence. Raven and his master were gone... but the goo that was his father and Jeff's body were still there._

*

"That window wasn't big enough for you to fit through," Christian said.

"I know. But I did." Matt said, "I'm not going to apologize for surviving."

"I didn't expect you to," Christian said, "But... the pressure just, disappeared?"

"Yeah," Matt said.

"How? Was it, like, it lifted off of you, or did it feel like it broke and fell around you?" Now, to anyone who hasn't been held down by telekinesis, this statement makes no sense. But it made perfect sense to Matt.

"The second one," he said, "This... this is... no one's believed me before..."

"Alright, I've heard enough," Adam said, "Matthew..."

"Matt," he corrected him.

"Matt, then. How would you react if I told you I can give you your revenge against Mark and Raven?"

Christian glared at Adam. "Adam! Can you give the guy a second to breathe?"

"Christian, I need to know. He's intelligent, he's got a smart mouth, he's got that ever important suspension of disbelief... but, if he doesn't want this, then this trip was a waste. Matt, if I gave you a chance to get revenge, would you take it?" Adam's eyes bore holes into Matt's, but Matt just returned the stare.

"Without hesitation," he said.

"Good. Then it's settled. We're springing you out of here," Adam said. He saw Christian's face. "We don't have the luxury of telling him everything now. We'll tell him once he's free."

"You're really going to break me out of an asylum?" Matt asked dryly, "How?"

"Don't worry about that. Just be awake when we come tonight." He turned to Christian. "Let's go."

Matt stared at them. Part of him believed them when they said they were going to free him. The other part thought this was a sick joke. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly. Matt, if you're not awake, we're not going to take you. So you better be." Christian waved goodbye to him, leaving him with his thoughts. He finally found people who believed him... but could he really believe them?

"Come, Matthew," Selina said, holding out her hand. Matt sighed and grabbed her hand. It was the only hope he had, so he had to stick with it. Even if it was all a lie, for one night, he'd at least think he could leave Hell's Spot.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	2. The Break Out

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad some of you know of the influences behind these. So, readers, reviewers... when we last left off, two blonde strangers, Adam and Christian, promised Matt Hardy they would free him from the asylum he was in. But are they actually coming? Is Matt actually insane? And are Mark or his demons far behind? Let's find out...**

**Chapter Two: The Break Out**

Matt threw the Snoopy up and down, trying to divert himself. It was hard not to fall asleep in Hells Spot... there was nothing to do but sleep. But Matt wanted to believe that someone knew the truth: that he wasn't crazy. And those someones would be coming to spring him from this hell.

What if it was all a lie? What if he actually was crazy? He had to admit; his story was impossible. But Christian showed him the picture of Raven; he knew Raven actually existed. This had to be real, no matter what the doctors said.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash. Matt jumped, scared by the sound. His neighbor screamed out, "Help! Tommy's crying! Tommy needs his juice! Someone get me Tommy's juice!"

Matt ignored her and went to the door to peek out the small window. He kept looking, but nothing changed. Nothing... until a pair of eyes appeared in the slot. Matt screamed and jumped back, caught off guard.

"Matt? This is you, right?" Matt sighed in relief; Christian.

"Yeah."

"Well, then, move away from the door. And I mean far away." Matt nodded and did as he was told, and then he heard Adam's voice.

"Is he away from the door?"

"Yup. Do it, Addy."

"I told you not to call me that." Suddenly, Matt heard something sizzling.

"Oh, Matt, by the way... put your fingers in your ears." Christian's warning came too late- there was a loud, empathic boom, and the door fell off the hinges. A few seconds later, Christian came in.

"Grab everything you're taking and let's go," Christian said. Matt nodded and grabbed the Snoopy; it was a kick in the ass for ever teasing Jeff, for not appreciating him each day he breathed.

"A Snoopy?" Adam sneered, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Stop being mean, Addy." Christian smiled at Matt. "I always liked Woodstock better." Matt stuck out his tongue, not caring how childish it was: he was free. Suddenly, an alarm went off. "

"Shit," Christian said, "Is that all?" Matt nodded, and Christian said, "So come on!" But, suddenly, Adam was thrown into the room, clear across to the wall. He hit it with a thud and groaned as he slid down the wall.

Selina appeared in the doorway, but her body started changing. She became taller, blond, skinnier... "Shit!" Christian cried.

"What the fuck is going on?" Matt asked, looked at the boring nurse he thought he knew become something else.

"I'm not letting you leave, Matthew. Master would be disappointed with me if I did." She began walking in, and Christian leapt forward, pulling out a gun.

He let out a few rounds, each bullet finding their mark. One went through her heart, through her neck, and through her eye. But her body just squirted them out and she healed. Matt shook, watching the gruesome sight. "Michelle," he said, "It's an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine, Nightstalker." Christian tried to shoot again, but Michelle grabbed his gun and threw it aside. She grabbed Christian by the neck and began squeezing his neck. Christian started choking, but Adam stood up and snuck behind her, pushing the barrel of his own gun to the back of her head.

"No, the honor is _mine_..." Adam smiled sadistically. "It's not everyday I get to kill a Deception Demon." He let out a shot, and her eyes opened wide. Blood squirted all over Christian, and she fell to the floor, dead instantly. Christian stumbled to his feet.

"Shit!" he shouted, "Adam, this was a good shirt!"

"Oh, shut up! How many times do I have to tell you?" Adam shouted, "No matter how a Deception Demon changes his or her form, the cortex remains the same! Aim for the cortex!" He pointed at the spot in his head.

"Sorry, Adam, but you don't exactly remember every single lesson when the bitch is coming towards you." Christian looked at Matt and pointed at the dead demon. "Matt, meet Michelle McCool, a Deception Demon. Looks like Mark knew exactly where you were this whole time."

"Which is why we have to go before another one appears," Adam said, "And a stronger one." Christian nodded and grabbed Matt's hand. "Better keep up, Mattie. This ride's about to get a lot more twisted."

Matt was shocked to hear someone call him Mattie after all this time; he hadn't heard it since Jeff died. But he ran alongside Christian, making their way out.

*

They went to a car and Adam began driving. Christian sat in the back with Matt after he wiped the blood off his face and changed his shirt. "So," Matt said, "Nightstalker?"

"The name of Demon Hunters," Christian said. He lifted his sleeve and showed off a tattoo on his arm of a triquetra. "People usually hunt in twos and, when the hunters reach their fourties or one partner dies, the next two Nightstalkers get trained. But lately, Adam and I noticed that the partners never usually make it to the fourty year mark. And that's when we had an idea."

"Three is a magic number," Adam said, "The holy trinity, the three points of the triquetra, the big three Gods in Greek mythology, the three faces of the moon, reason, emotion, and balance... and that's where you come in, Matt. Hunter number three. The balance. The third point."

"You want me to hunt those... things?" Matt asked, thinking about Mark, Raven, and Michelle.

"Yeah," Adam said, "Don't you want your revenge still?"

"Of course, but..."

"But to do that, you have to hunt down demons," Adam said, "You can't just barge on Mark and Raven's door and kill them. They're among the strongest, and Mark has every demon blocking our path to him. You want your chance at Mark, you have to join us and let us train you."

"Alright." Matt nodded, knowing Adam was completely right. If this was real, and it was, he couldn't just choke the life out of the bastards. He had to learn how to fight their kind. And that's what Adam and Christian were offering. "Will I have to get that tattoo?"

"Eventually," Christian said.

"Oh, and..." Matt gulped, hoping this next conversation would go his way. "I was thinking about what you said about Raven, and, well... he can make illusions, right? So maybe Jeff's not dead, and that was just an illusion of his death. Right?"

"If Mark wanted your brother dead, he's dead," Adam said flatly. Christian shot him a glare.

"It could've been an illusion," Christian said, "But... don't pin your hopes on that, okay?"

"I have to believe that there's a chance that Jeff's still alive," Matt said, squeezing the Snoopy, "I... I have to believe it. I feel like this is all my fault... I mean, Mark was after me, right?" Christian nodded. "Do you have any idea why?"

Christian shook his head. "No. If we did, we'd tell you. But this was not your fault. Don't blame yourself." Christian patted Matt's head encouragingly, and then he looked up at Adam. "Addy, I'm hungry!"

"Don't call me Addy!" Adam shouted.

"Come on, I'm hungry!" he yelled, "And Matt's had to deal with crappy food for too long. Take us out to eat!" Matt laughed; it was cute, the way they acted together. He wondered if he would really fit into their family.

Christian turned to Matt. "What do you want?"

"A big, fat juicy burger," Matt said, salivating, thinking about the crappy hospital food he had to put up with.

"Murder in a bun it is," Christian said, "Addy, find a burger joint!" Adam sighed.

"Wait until we get a little further, Christian. If I'm going to eat pounds of trans fat, damn it, I'll eat it in fucking peace."

Christian laughed at him and put an arm around Matt. "My Addy is your Addy, Matt, and you have to mercilessly tease him as well. He's a stick in the mud otherwise."

"You don't take anything seriously, Christian, and that's your problem," Adam said.

"You take everything seriously, and that's your problem, _Addy_," Christian teased.

"Are you two brothers?" Matt asked.

"In every way but blood," Christian said. Matt smiled; he and Jeff used to joke around like they do. Jeff... _I will get revenge for you. I promise._

Eventually, they found a diner, which they ate at. Afterwards, they went back to the van, where the ride lasted a long time. "Where are we going?" Matt asked.

"You can sleep, if you want," Christian said.

"No thanks." Matt didn't want to go to sleep and wake up in some strange place he didn't have a clue how to get out of.

"At least he has a brain," Adam said pointedly. Christian hit him and they kept driving until they got to a swamp.

"Everyone out," Adam said. Matt followed Christian out, confused.

"You two live in the middle of a swamp?" he said.

"Yeah," Adam said, "Secret, out of the way... perfect." He pulled out a knife and beckoned Matt over. Matt hesitated, but Christian said, "Adam's just making sure you can get into our base. Go ahead, he won't hurt you... much."

Matt went over and Adam grabbed his hand. He pierced his finger with the knife, making him bleed. Adam took out a vial and caught some of Matt's blood in it. "Wait here." Adam went inside the barrier set up to protect their hideaway and went to the spell bag. It has his, Christian's, and their mentors' blood in it, and now it would have Matt's. He added the blood and said, "Christian, bring him in!"

Christian led Matt through the swamp. Matt felt a pressure around him as he passed a certain point, but it didn't stop him; it let him through. They went on until they eventually ended up at a house.

"Your training begins tomorrow," Adam said, "The sooner we do this, the better. Christian, show him his room." With that, Adam left.

"He might seem like an ass, but Adam's the most reliable guy I know," Christian said, "And he's an awesome cook; you'll see." Christian led Matt to his room.

"You guys live out in the middle of nowhere alone?" Matt asked.

"Uh huh."

"Doesn't it get boring?" Matt asked.

Christian laughed. "Our lives are anything but boring. After your training, you'll see. You'll beg for boring by the time the year is up."

He opened the door to a simple room. Matt looked around and saw it only had the bare necessities. "Christian?"

"Yeah?"

"Any advice?" Matt asked, "Tips about how training tomorrow will be?"

"Yeah. Don't you dare sleep too soundly. And get ready to go to hell." Christian smiled. "Night."

Christian left, and Matt threw the Snoopy on the bed. He could only imagine what tomorrow would be like; he half imagined what happened in the _Hercules _movie, and half imagined what happened in _The Karate Kid_ for his training. He could take it; he knew he could.

Christian smiled as he walked to his room. Matt was perfect for the job. He just hoped Adam didn't scare him away.

*

"Master..." Mark looked up as the demon of spiders, Victoria, appeared. "Master, Michelle has failed. The Hardy boy is gone."

"Gone?" Mark shouted, turning to her. "What do you mean, gone?"

"A pair of blonde Nightstalkers freed him." She said.

"Ah. Helmsley and Michaels' proteges," he said, "How did they find out about him?"

"I don't know."

"Well, look for Matt. We can't lose him." Victoria nodded and disappeared into the shadows. Mark went over to a big glass ball on his table and said, "Show me Matthew Hardy." The ball refused to show him anything.

That meant the Nightstalkers had him in their lair. Shit. Did they know how important Matt was? How did they find out? Mark only told a few of his most trusted demons about Matt. But, suddenly, he knew they didn't know. If they did, Matt would be dead. No... it was only an awful coincidence, a unexpected twist of fate that this happened.

Mark didn't know what they wanted with Matt, but he'd eventually find him. There was nowhere on Earth Matt could hide where Mark wouldn't find him. Nowhere.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	3. Training From Hell

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews. So, readers, reviewers... I've messed with the ages a little. Matt's nineteen, Jeff, bless his soul, would be sixteen, and Adam and Christian are twenty one. Shawn and Hunter are in their fifties. Demon ages don't matter.**

**When we last left off, Adam and Christian freed Matt from the asylum, despite Michelle's interference. Now, Matt's getting ready to train. But will he survive the training? **

**Chapter Three: Training from Hell**

Matt slowly walked down the path. Where was he? He didn't recognize this place. "You finally came." Matt turned around and saw Jeff, smiling at him. "I was waiting for you, Mattie."

"It can't be..." Matt shook his head. "You're not you."

"Then who am I?" Jeff asked.

"Anyone but Jeff!" Matt shouted, "I... I saw him die."

"You can't believe your eyes when you're around Raven," Jeff said, "Remember that." Jeff ran up and wrapped his arms around Matt's waist. "You have to use every other sense around him."

"You're alive?"

"Now, did I say that?" Jeff asked, cocking his head to the side. "Tsk tsk Mattie, you should listen more."

"You're confusing me!" Matt screamed, "Are you alive or dead?"

"Listen to me, then, you stubborn ass. Listen to what they say to you. Absorb it. You never know when you'll call upon the lessons Adam and Christian give you." Jeff smiled. "Oh, and, Mattie? Lesson one: don't sleep too soundly."

Matt woke up on the hard ground. He blinked, trying to find out if he fell off the bed, but he wasn't even in the house anymore. He was on the ground outside, and he couldn't see the house at all.

He wondered how he got here, but then he saw a note on the floor next to him. He picked it up and read:

_Matt, you fool,_

_I told you not to sleep too deeply! If you had listened, you would have realized that Adam and I were carrying you away and today would be a whole lot easier. Too bad you didn't. Make your way back to the house, Matt. And I hope you make it intact._

_Christian_

Matt almost screamed. They put him in the middle of the swamp? He didn't know his way around his damned swamp! And what was that last sentence? I hope you make it intact? What does that mean?

"Where the hell are you guys?" Matt shouted, "This isn't funny, damn it!" There was no answer. He shouted out again, but no luck. He sighed and began walking through the swamp.

He didn't know which way to go, so he just walked straight ahead. Hopefully, it was the right way. He crossed his arms and thought about Jeff and his Dad. _This is for them. I'll trudge on for them. I will get my revenge._

But what did walking through the damn swamp have to do with training?

Matt kept trudging ahead, convinced he had to make it, but wondering what any of this shit had to do with training. What, were they working out his legs? Trying to give him sense of direction? It wasn't like there were landmarks here; it was just sludge and grime and trees. They had a sick sense of humor, that was for sure.

Suddenly, something hit Matt across the back. He screamed and fell on one knee, but then he was hit again. He crawled away and tried to get to his feet, but he was beat to the floor. He cried out, but then decided he wouldn't take this. He turned around and a stick whacked against his stomach. He screamed again, looking at the attacker- he was wearing completely black. Matt couldn't even see his face.

Matt quickly kicked at his attacker, but his legs were grabbed. The attacker dropped them and hit him again. "Shit, stop," Matt breathed, "Please..." He rolled away as fast as he could, and he saw the shirt he wore was split. Blood was falling down his chest, and his body was in searing pain.

Matt stood up to the best of his abilities and began to run again, but he slipped and fell onto the ground. The attacker came back up to him and Matt said, "Please. Don't... don't... not again."

The attacker pulled off his mask. It was Adam. "Pathetic. Is that really the best you've got?" Adam walked away, leaving Matt bleeding on the ground. There was a rustling above him, and Christian, in a similar outfit as Adam's, came down.

"Shit!" He pulled Matt up. "Come on, buddy, you look like a wreck. And the day's not even over yet."

Matt groaned. If that was the first test, he was going to die by the time he got his chance at Mark.

*

The day got more and more brutal. Adam pushed him into a bog and told him to swim, even though his whole body was sore from the earlier exercise. Matt almost drowned seven times, each of which Adam would never make a move to pull him out of the bog. All Adam did was push him back in until he finally managed a dog paddle across the stream.

After that, given no time to dry, Adam gave him a stick and told him to go fight Christian in a sword fight. That didn't go well either; instead, Matt was forced to beg for mercy after Christian split his skin open in a few more places.

When his whole body was exhausted, fighting against hunger, bruises, and the blood caked on his body, Adam shoved a gun in his hands and told him to shoot the targets, which were moving. Matt missed all of them, and he found himself wishing he'd turn around and put a bullet in Adam's head.

"You'd just _miss,_" Adam sneered, walking away. Matt collapsed against the wall and Christian came in.

"Let's go," he said, holding out his hand.

"No," Matt said miserably, "I feel like I died."

"Well, today's Easter," Christian said, "Time to resurrect." He helped Matt to his feet and half led, half carried him to his room. He sat Matt on the bed and said, "Hands up."

"Why?" Matt said.

"Because last thing you need is cloth and dye in those cuts. Come on, the quicker we get you out of those clothes, the faster we get to those cuts." Matt lifted his arms and Christian pulled off his shirt. Then, he helped Matt out of his pants, and then he pulled out a bag. "Lay on your front. I'll get your back first."

Matt did as he was told, hoping Christian could magically make the wounds go away. But he didn't. Instead, Christian pulled out a cloth and alcohol. "I've got to clean the cuts before you get any relief. Don't jump around too much."

Matt thought it would be easy, seeing as he was dead weight, but he was wrong. Once the alcohol touched his skin, he yelped and jumped away. "No you don't, mister!" Christian grabbed Matt to keep him from moving, pushing his hands into a bruise.

"No fair," Matt whimpered, "Why would you do that?"

"Because I don't want you to get infected and have the third member die before he sees any action," Christian said, "Focus on something else. I bet you have questions."

Matt nodded. "Well, demons are real. Are vampires?"

"Just another name for a demon. All monsters you've heard of are just demons who got another name." Christian frowned. "There are Blood Demons, and they'd be where vampires come from."

"What do they do?" Matt said.

"They can control your blood. Make you do things you don't want to. They feed off of blood. They can make your blood boil, slow your circulation..." Christian shook his head. "They're bad."

"Have you ever met one?" Matt asked.

"Yeah." Christian shook his head, thinking back at the Blood Demon he knew. "But that's not important."

Matt saw Christian's wariness at the subject, and decided to skip it. "I can't believe Selina was a demon."

"That's the thing, Matt. Anyone you know can be a demon. Because when most Demons are conceived, they're human." Christian finished cleaning the cuts and pulled out a salve. "The Demon Master- that'd be Mark, now- he gets to the mothers when they're about eight months pregnant. His timing on this has to be perfect. He'd feed the mothers his blood, which won't affect them- but will make the child they carry a demon."

"Don't they freak out when a demon pops out, instead of a normal baby?" Matt asked.

"Some demons don't exhibit any tendencies for years. But, inevitably, they all become demons. No matter how kind they were when they thought they were human... they serve Mark. This'll be kind of cold." Christian put the salve on Matt's cuts, and it was cold, but it dulled the pain. "Depending on the evil already in their hearts- and all humans have evil in their hearts, even you and me- they get powers based on that."

"So Selina- I mean Michelle- was probably a two faced bitch?"

"You got it." Christian smiled. "And Raven was probably sadistic, the kind of guy who did things just because his victims were scared of them."

"Speaking of evil in people's hearts... why is Adam such a dick?" Matt asked. Christian stared at him, but then he laughed out loud.

"Oh, God, you're funny. Adam's not a dick, despite his dick-like behavior. He's just a tad old fashioned. This is how we were trained, and, well, since we're already breaking tradition by adding you to the group..."

"I see," Matt said. Christian nodded and, as soon as he was done with Matt's wounds, he went to the dresser and pulled out a shirt. He threw it at Matt and said, "Come on, let's eat."

"I can't move," Matt said.

"Well, you have to. Because you know that 'First day's always the worst' saying? Completely bogus. The next day's always the worst. Everyday you train with us, know that the next day will be worst than the last." Christian held out his hand. "Come on. Least you can do to pay back Adam for the beating is eat his amazing food."

Matt sighed, pulled on the shirt, and grabbed Christian's hand. He limped to the dinner table, thinking about how he couldn't survive another day like this.

*

Three weeks later, Matt was a wreck. There was no time for wounds to heal, so each wound got worse. Christian's salve did less and less for him. And it felt like he was making no progress. He couldn't bring himself not to fall into deep sleep; it was a reprieve from the wounds. He never even came close to seeing the house. He always almost drowned. Christian still whooped his ass in fights. He couldn't shoot for shit. He only was allowed one meal a day, which wasn't enough, even if it was Adam's amazing cooking.

And Adam never let up. He insulted Matt each time Matt didn't do something to his satisfaction; which was EVERYTHING. Matt was called pathetic, weak, loser, worthless, hopeless, moron, and his personal favorite- waste. He was a waste of perfectly good life, apparently. Like Matt needed reminding that he should be the dead one, not Jeff and his father.

Adam was a drill Sergeant, constantly pushing Matt to do stuff he knew Matt couldn't do. Matt was at the breaking point. Then, Matt blew up at the gun range.

"So... none of the targets even nicked?" Adam shook his head, "What a fucking waste."

"Shut up!" Matt shouted from where he sat, "Shit, I'm trying, okay? But you guys are killing me!"

"Trying?" Adam said. He pointed at the boards. "Those are the same damned targets I hung up two weeks ago. You haven't hit a single one. Not once. Not remotely near the bullseye, not even the arm or the edge. If I put you out there right now, they'd rip you to shreds!"

"Better than being ripped to shreds by you, asshole!" Matt shouted. Matt tried to march out, but he ended up falling against the wall. So Matt slowly stood and began walking, using the wall for support. Adam blinked, but then he followed.

"Where the fuck are you going, Matt?"

"This is bullshit and I'm not taking this anymore," Matt said, "There's more of my blood around the ground then in my body. My body always hurts. And you're not helping!"

"I thought you were serious about getting Mark and Raven," Adam said. Matt slowly turned around, enraged.

"How could you even suggest that I'm not?"

"Because you're giving up," Adam said, "Because you're not fighting through the pain. And, if you won't, you're of no use to us."

"This isn't a fucking papercut!" Matt shouted, "And I guess if being unable to move after you two beat holy shit out of me day after day means I'm of no use to you, then I'm of no fucking use to you."

"What's all the screaming about?" Christian said, opening the door to the target range. Matt limped passed him, and Christian looked after him. "What the fuck did you do, Adam?"

"Me?" Adam said, "Matt's the one whose quitting!"

"You couldn't be a little less of a bum?" Christian asked.

"Oh, I'm the bum because you're coddling him," Adam scoffed, "He's supposed to be our partner, not our fucking charge. Let me remind you that this is how Shawn and Hunter made us what we are."

"Did you forget how much we hated them?" Christian said, "It's a good thing they didn't train us to be their partner. Adam, how the hell is he ever going to trust you with his life and want to protect you if you keep pushing him like this?"

Adam had no answer to that. Instead, he said, "Matt's a real quick study. He got within a mile of the house this time. That's twice as well as his first day. He started doing strokes half the way across the river. He hit you today- once, but still, he hit you. And he might not have hit the targets, but he hit the conveyor belt. I'm pushing him because he can be something amazing. And we don't have years to train him. The other Nightstalkers are already missing us."

"Then why don't you tell him that?" Christian asked, "Instead of calling him names and bringing him down?"

"Because, if he's the kind of guy I think he is, he's just waiting for the chance to prove me wrong."

*

Matt barely made it to his bed. He could hardly breathe, much less do anything else. A while later, Christian brought him some soup, knowing he couldn't really chew. Matt muttered thanks and drank it slowly. Christian watched him and said, "You're doing better."

"Yeah, right," Matt said sarcastically. "Why don't you just kick me out?"

"Because you are getting better. And you have nowhere else to go." Christian smiled. "You're sort of stuck with us."

"Really?" Matt said.

"What would you do if you left?" Christian asked, "You'd just hunt down Mark and probably get killed in the bargain. I see it in your eyes; you're not going to give up on these bastards."

"Maybe I should be dead," Matt said softly. Christian looked at him, and then he slapped him across the face. "Hey!" Matt put his hand to his cheek. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Never wish for death," Christian said, "You just insulted your father and your brother with that little sentence. Neither of them would want you dead; they'd want you to make the most of your life."

"How do you know?" Matt asked, "They're dead, and it's all my fault! Mark wouldn't have come for them if it wasn't for me!"

"You didn't kill them, Matt. Fuck, don't blame yourself. They wouldn't!" Christian grabbed the Snoopy. "See this? You won it the night they died, remember? Your brother wanted you to give it to him, but you didn't. You were selfish."

"Shut up," Matt said.

"And then he died ten minutes later! You never had a chance to make it up to him..."

"Shut up!" Matt shouted, "I don't want to talk about Jeff!"

"Well, too bad! Because if you die before you make it up to him, Adam was right. You are a waste. But if you fucking work, if you live and make each day the most you can, you can make it up to him." Christian stood up. "You have to make a choice, Matt."

Christian walked out, shaking with regret. He didn't mean to snap at Matt, but hearing him wish for death... Matt wasn't the only one who went through hell. He did too; so did Adam. At least Matt had more time in the safe, normal world. He knew Matt probably didn't mean it... or he hoped he didn't. Matt had to know how much Christian liked and respected him. Why else would he help him out every night?

Matt lay on the bed, thinking about what Christian said. Half of him knew he deserved to hear that, but the dominant half was furious with Christian, furious that he would throw Jeff's name in his face. Furious that Christian just let Adam do whatever he wanted. Furious that Adam verbally and physically abused him everyday.

Matt stood up, making up his mind. He lifted the window and squeezed through it; it sure as hell was wider than the window in the bathroom at his old home. If Adam and Christian thought he was a waste, then he'd stop wasting their time. He started walking, not thinking that his body felt like hell, that he didn't know which way he was going, or really where he was. He knew he was somewhere in West Virginia, that's it. But he was going to leave.

Once Matt felt the pressure around his body, he knew he left the barrier they had and he was getting closer to the way out of the swamp. He just had to keep walking- or attempting to walk- and he'd be gone soon. Out of the two blondes' lives.

*

Mark looked up. He could feel Matt again. That meant the Nightstalkers let him out of their protective barrier. "Victoria!" He shouted.

Victoria appeared, and she bowed. "Yes, Master?"

"He's back. Don't screw this up," he said. Victoria nodded and disappeared. She knew that, if she came back without Matt, she'd be dead. And that was the last thing she wanted.

Mark grabbed the orb and said, "Show me the boy, damn it!" He saw Matt in the ball, holding his side and trudging through a swamp. He seethed, seeing how broken he looked. What did those damned Nightstalkers do to him, he wondered. What do they want from him?

He decided that didn't matter anymore and just sat back. Victoria would succeed. Matt was in no position to protect himself: he was in bad condition, and he had no idea what he could really do. Well, he didn't know yet. Mark would show him exactly who he was soon enough.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	4. Families

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews. As for why Matt's important... that's real far off. Just buckle in and enjoy the ride.**

**When we last left off, Matt ran from Christian and Adam, letting his anger get the better of him. But now Victoria's on the hunt. Let's read on...**

**Chapter Four: Families**

Matt took a second to lean against a tree. He breathed in deeply, unable to believe he made it this far. He blinked as he tried to regain himself; but then he gasped. He was no longer in the swamp... he was in the garden he saw in his dream the first night he spent at Adam and Christian's house.

"Hey Mattie!" Matt jumped and saw Jeff jump out from behind a tree. "Ooh, those look nasty."

"Where the hell am I?" Matt asked.

"Same place you were the last few minutes, you big dummy." Jeff smiled. "You fell asleep."

"Really?"

"Like I said, those wounds look nasty, and you've been trekking across the land. Not such a good idea." Jeff sat down next to the tree, and patted the grass next to him for Matt to sit.

Matt did, and he said, "What was I supposed to do, Jeff?"

"Stick it out. Fight. You always were the one who wouldn't die." Jeff giggled. "What would you buddies on the football team say if they saw you now, Mr. Runs-for-miles-on-end?"

"I was seventeen, and that was nothing like this."

"So what? Tough it out. You, I, and the whole world knows that you will not give up here. Go back so, when you face Mark, you can kill him." Jeff punched him in the arm. "And what was this I should be dead bullshit?"

"What? I was just being honest," Matt said.

"Well, stop thinking that." Jeff smiled. "One day, you, me, Mommy, and Daddy will all be reunited in Heaven. But that's not anytime soon. You better fight, you hear? If life bites you... bite back! You can't let the world get you down. Live your life, Mattie."

Matt hugged him tightly. "If you say so. Jeff, are you alive or dead?"

Jeff smiled sadly. "Unfortunately for you, Mattie, I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I mean I don't know. I don't know because you don't know, and I'm only a figment of your imagination." Jeff scratched his chin. "That's not quite right. I know you thought me up, and I'm not the real Jeff, but I'm more than just a figment of your imagination. I can feel what Jeff felt, and I know what Jeff knew."

"Why can't we ever have a conversation where you don't confuse me?" Matt asked.

"Because you don't understand everything yet. But you will soon." Jeff looked at Matt deeply. "Matt, you have to be careful. Mark wants you badly, and he won't stop until he gets you."

"Why?" Matt asked, "Jeff, I'm just a normal Carolinian! What the hell did I do that makes the demon Master want me so much?"

"It's not what you did, Mattie. It's who you are. You were born special; different. You're one of a kind. You're..." Jeff's eyes widened. "Mattie, look out!" He pushed Matt, and, suddenly, Matt was back in the swamp. And he just rolled out of the way in the nick of time. A strand of what looked like web was on the tree. But it was way too big to be a spider web...

Matt began crawling away, trying to hide under the shade of the night. "Quicker than I thought," Matt heard a woman say, "There's plenty of places for a quick little grasshopper to hide, but the spider will always find you."

Matt resisted the urge to talk back as he realized that a demon found him. A demon with spider powers. Oh fudge.

"Oh Matthew?" The woman called out, "Matthew, I don't want to hurt you. Come out here. I just want to make the pain go away."

Matt didn't listen to her. He just continued crawling slowly, trying to find a hiding spot. Shoot, he shouldn't have ran! "Come out, sweet Matthew. My Master can make everything better for you. Just stop fighting and give in."

You better fight, you hear? Jeff's voice echoed in Matt's head, and he nodded, blocking out what she was saying. Demons lie, remember? Demons lie. "Fine. You want to play hide and seek? Well, ready or not, here I come!"

Matt heard a tree rumble, and he knew that she somehow jumped onto a treetop. He stood as low as he could, holding his breath. Every sound he made, no matter how low, sounded deafening to him.

"Found you." The demon jumped out of the tree and landed in front of Matt. Matt stopped in his tracks and rolled away as fast as possible when she let out a stream of web. "Come on, now you want to play tag?" She pouted, "I thought we were through with games!"

Matt scrambled up and tried to run, but soon a stream of web wrapped around him, tying his hands to his sides. The demon pulled the web and forced Matt to the ground. "Come on, no need to be a bad boy." She said, walking over to him, "My Master has big plans for you."

"Tell him to shove those plans down his throat!" Matt screamed.

She shook her head. "Tsk tsk. Daddy died before he could teach his little boy some manners?" She stuck out he hand and shot a web at Matt's mouth, effectively gagging him. "I guess I can teach you something. The name's Victoria, by the way."

"He doesn't need to know the name of a dead bitch." Matt and Victoria whipped around as Adam took a shot at Victoria. It nicked her neck, making her scream out in pain. As Adam fired a round to her core, Victoria shot a web at it, making it ineffective. Then, she shot a web at Adam, encasing his chest and arms in a cocoon and trapping him to a tree.

Victoria grinned and walked over to Adam. "It's not everyday I get a Nightstalker for my meal. Master will be so pleased with me when he learns what I've done." She bent over into Adam's neck. "This one's the stunner. When I spit... that's when you know I'm coming in for the kill."

"You forgot something," Adam said, breathing heavily.

"What?" Victoria said.

"Nightstalkers hunt in two." Before Victoria could process what he said, Christian jumped out of the tree and pushed his gun into her core. He shot, killing Victoria instantly.

Christian smiled. "Don't you love it when the idiots fall for the whole bait routine?" He went over to Adam and pulled out his knife. He cut the web, but that didn't free Adam from the tree. "But ew, I'm so happy it was your turn to be the bait." Adam rolled his eyes.

"Cut the other side! Webs are sticky, remember?"

"Aye aye, Senor Grumpy!" Christian said, saluting him. "But how do you plan..."

"Christian, leave the thinking to me, please. Just get me off the tree!" Christian crossed his arms.

"That didn't sound like 'Christian, please, help me'," he said.

"Fuck, Christian! Just get me down and I'll cook steak tomorrow!"

Christian grinned. "And he learns, a good steak is all it takes to steal my heart."

"Keep your damned heart and get me down!" Adam shouted. Christian finally relented and cut the other side. Adam could move again, although webs covered his front. He walked over to Matt and said, "You know, this is a good look for you." He picked Matt up and threw him over his shoulder. He carried him away towards the barrier, and Christian laughed.

Matt shot him a glare, but Christian shrugged. "Hey, teaches you not to run away."

*

After Adam and Matt got all the webs off of them, Adam turned to Christian. "You can go to sleep now. Matt and I are going to have a heart to heart."

Christian looked at him. "Come on, he's had a long night."

"Well, it's about to get longer. Go to sleep, Christian." When he saw Christian wasn't moving, he sighed. "Look, I'm not... I'm not going to yell at him. And he can rest off his wounds for a few days. Just let me talk to him."

Christian looked at Matt and said, "If Addy gets too mean, kick him. We're all allowed one misstep." Christian walked away, leaving Adam and Matt alone. Adam sat next to Matt and shook his head.

"That was stupid."

Matt nodded. "I know. I was just... I was angry, and I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Obviously," Adam said, "Look, I'm sorry about your family. But we're all in the same boat here." Adam looked at the door. "When Christian was born, his mother died. She died before she could even give him a name. No one knew who she was, so they left Christian at an orphanage. Six months later, I was abandoned at that very same orphanage. My parents must not have wanted me. So, Christian and I grew up together.

"We were pretty much all we had- except for David Heath. He ran the orphanage, and he raised us like his own sons. He is the closest thing Christian or I or any other orphan there had to a father. We loved him like one, too. He was a good man; he made sure we were always fed and clothed, even if the orphanage was running low on funds. He always made sure we came first.

"Then, when Christian and I were ten, David started changing. It was slow at first- he'd raise his voice, or he'd hit one of us- but then he'd snap out of it and he'd apologize. He didn't know what came over him. The incidents began coming closer and closer together, and it eventually led to David choking Christian. I begged him not to, but it was like a whole different person. He even called himself by a different name- Gangrel.

"He was going to kill Christian, bite him and suck him dry of his blood, but Hunter and Shawn stopped him. They were our mentors, the Nightstalkers before us. Before they could kill him, Gangrel- the man who used to be our father- ran off. We saw the person we loved become a demon."

"He was the Blood Demon Christian said he knew," Matt said, thinking back to his conversation with Christian. No wonder he sounded so sad; Matt couldn't imagine seeing his father become a demon.

"That's right. With the Orphanage's Administrator gone, they were going to split us up. Christian and I didn't want to be separated, so, when Hunter and Shawn said they wanted to adopt us, we said yes. No hesitation, just like you." Adam laughed. "We didn't know what we were in for. You think you had it bad in the training? Imagine being unable to move and hearing your brother cry in pain from the next room. You want to go over, soothe his sobs, but every muscle aches. We were eleven years old; not even teenagers yet, and they trained us for war.

"Yes, it was harsh, Matt. but this is war we're talking about. There are so little of us, and the Demons always have the Upper Hand. You killed one Deception Demon? Three pop up in it's place. Victoria, the one we just killed, was one of many Spider demons, but not even the strongest. Mark wouldn't send his strongest out in fear that bloodlust would make it go on a rampage. We're all we have, so I want to make damn sure you can kick ass and take names when the time comes for you to be on that field."

Matt nodded, surprised that Adam had a heart, but saddened by what he said. "I want to be able to do that," he said.

Adam nodded. "Then put your all into this. Don't get frustrated because a training session didn't go your way; try harder. I'm not going to go any easier on you because we don't have that luxury. But I figured since Christian hasn't got through that thick skull of yours, I should try."

"Thanks," Matt said. They were quiet for a moment, and Matt asked, "How long did it take you to reach the house?"

"Too long. Felt like forever." Adam smiled. "Christian made it before me, but I beat one of them in a sword fight first, and I hit the targets first."

"How long, Adam? I need exact times."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to make sure I do better than you in each and every one, so you know whose the waste."

"That's the spirit." Adam slapped Matt's arm. "Go to bed. I didn't lie; you'll get a break. We can use that time to teach you about what kinds of demons there are. But you're not getting breakfast still."

"And that's the Addy-dick I know." Matt giggled.

"Addy-dick? You've been spending too much time with Christian. I'm going to kick that fucker's ass," Adam fumed.

"I made it up myself, doofus," Matt said, "Christian's never called you Addy-dick."

"Until now!" Christian burst into the room, the cup in his hands showing he heard the whole conversation. "Addy-dick! Addy-dick! Addy-dick!" He chanted, poking Adam's sides.

"Look what you've done!" Adam shouted, trying to push Christian away. Matt laughed; they had such an incredible bond. Even though Christian was acting cheerful, Matt knew that hearing about the past tore Christian up inside. And Adam was being the same old Adam for Christian's sake; he wanted to be strong for his 'brother'. And Matt knew he would do everything to be the best partner for them. Because he lost his brother, and he didn't want either of them to go through what he went through.

*

Matt woke up; he heard soft footsteps in the hall. His 'break' (if you could call all the learning he did a break) was over, and he was sure that was the sound of Adam and Christian coming to carry him out to the bog. He smirked; he finally learned how to not fall into deep sleep!

He stood up and tip toed over to the door. He opened it slowly, but no one was there. He slipped out quietly and saw light coming from the bathroom, so he tip toed over to it. He leaned next to the door and heard a very masculine voice singing quietly:

_I think I'm ready  
Been locked up in the house way too long,  
It's time to get it,  
Cause once again he's out doing wrong,  
And my girls are so real,  
Said it's been a minute since I had some  
He's been acting up, but he won't be the only one_

Matt snickered and opened the door slowly. There, in a towel, was the Adam he'd come to respect, hate, and fear (a little), with his hair in a ponytail, blue stuff on his face, and a hairbrush in his hands, singing Beyonce.

Adam turned around, dropping the hairbrush mic, and stared at Matt. "You're supposed to knock, asshole," he said.

"You're not supposed to be singing about putting on a freakum dress," Matt shot back.

"Okay, so I like Beyonce. Big deal. Christian does the dance too." Adam growled.

"The... dance?" Matt asked. Adam shook his hips a little, showing him what he meant. Matt laughed and said, "Really?"

"Uh huh. Christian's as ridiculous as it gets." Adam smiled. "Now go back to fucking bed before I make tomorrow infinitely more brutal."

Matt stuck out his tongue and ran, laughing. He was on top of the world. He might have lost his family, and yeah, that hurt like hell... but he felt like he could be a part of this family. And he so wanted to be.

*

Mark hit his head against the wall in anger. Victoria screwed up big time. Who knew when the stupid Nightstalkers would let him out again? But if there was one thing he knew now, it was that they were training Matt. He wouldn't have had the reflexes to dodge the web otherwise. They were making him into a Nightstalker.

Mark laughed. Matt, a Nightstalker? What a fucking oxymoron. It was like trying to teach a pig to herd sheep; it made no sense. He had to get his hands on Matt before the young Nightstalkers tainted him.

Mark cursed free will and decided to let things play out. Matt and his blonde friends would soon learn exactly what Matt was... and wouldn't it be funny when they finally did?

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	5. Six Months Later

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews. Like I said, ages were messed with. Vickie Guerrero's 47, and Chavo and Rey are both 26. Rey is still Rey for the sole purpose of the fact I like the name better than Oscar. Put aside your personal feelings about Vickie's farce of a GM run while you read this.  
**

**When we last left off, Matt was ready to pour his all into his training. And, six months later, Matt is succeeding in making the grade. But then something strange happens that sends our heroes into a daze. What's going on here? Read on...  
**

**Chapter Five: Six Months Later  
**

Christian silently hopped from tree to tree, keeping his eyes peeled for Matt. Adam was on the ground, doing the same thing. Adam was determined to make sure today wasn't the day Matt finally reached the house.

It was all that was left. Matt hit each and every target now at the gun range. Matt was now Christian's equal in the sword fights. He could swim in the bog like a fish. And yes, most of the time, he could wake up before Christian and Adam carried him off to the swamp. But Matt wasn't going to pass this test so easily.

Matt was still hit every day, but his skin was now tougher, harder to break. And he had a greater endurance now, so that, even if they did beat him into the state he was in six months ago, he could still walk, chew, and carry on like a normal human being. Adam and Christian were proud of him; but they didn't say it to his face. Adam still called him a waste. But, if Matt made it to the house... he'd win.

And neither Christian nor Adam knew where he was at the moment.

"You've seen him yet?" Adam whispered into the walkie-talkie.

"No," Christian said, "When did Matteh get this sneaky?"

"I don't know. Maybe he's been beat up in this swamp so much that he knows it as well as we do." Adam looked around, "He hasn't reached the house yet, that's for sure."

"I don't know, I... HOLY FUCKING STARS IN HEAVEN! That sneaky bastard swam in the bog to get around us!"

"Shit!" Adam smiled despite himself; he never thought about using the bog. "Go chase his ass!"

Matt didn't take any time to squeeze the water or the muck out of his clothes. He didn't take a breather, not even for a second. Matt just started dashing towards the house.

Christian jumped out of the tree and began chasing Matt. Matt picked up speed and, before Christian could whack him with his stick, Matt stopped, making Christian bump into him. Caught off guard, Christian did nothing while Matt stole his stick.

"Thank you!" Matt sang, whacking Christian with it. Christian tried to fight back, but, as Matt learned the hard way, those sticks sting like crazy. As soon as he got Christian down, he began running for the house again.

This time, Adam was waiting for him. "Not today, Matt," Adam said.

"What?" Matt taunted, "Angry that I'm going to beat your seven month time?"

"You will not reach the house," Adam said.

"Try me." Matt learned a lot from the sword fights with Christian. For one thing, everyone had a weak spot. Matt parried too early, leaving his left side exposed for attack. Christian always stepped too far when he was going in for the kill shot, and even a bad hit to his legs would send him tumbling. As for Adam... well, Adam's problem was that he always stretched to reach his target, meaning, if he didn't hit something, he'd tumble.

So, when Adam went to attack, instead of blocking, Matt stepped out of the way. Adam misstepped and, while he tried to get his balance, Matt ran around him. He faced Christian, sure- but that was because it wasn't a fair fight. Matt had the advantage. In a fair fight, seven times out of ten, Christian could hand Matt his ass on a platter. And the odds were only slightly less in Adam's favor.

Matt heard Adam catching up, and he tried to speed up, but he tripped. Cursing himself silently, he began to crawl to the door, hoping to at least make it. He reached his hand out for the front door as Adam grabbed his ankle. Matt twisted around and did something so unexpected, so ludicrous that, if he did it while facing a demon, he'd probably be dead. But Matt was just thinking about getting to the house.

Matt threw the stick at Adam's head. Adam blinked, and the momentary confusion was enough for Matt to scramble out of his hands and reach the door. Matt blinked as a wave of happiness washed over him. He did it. He reached the door. It was over.

"WHOO!" Matt screamed. He got to his legs and started dancing. "I did it, I did it, I did it, I did it..."

"Relax," Adam mumbled, holding his head, "You made it to the house. Big whoop."

"Yeah, well, I beat your time. Whose the waste now?" Matt teased.

"Still you. I was twelve when I made it to the house," Adam said, "You're nineteen. Big advantage there, Matt."

"Oh, shut up," Christian said, walking over, "I beat both your times, and I was eleven when I did it." Christian smiled at Matt. "Congratulations. Bootcamp is over. How do you feel?"

"Like I just won the lottery, reached the top of Mount Everest, knocked out Mohammed Ali in his prime, and walked on water all at the same time," Matt said.

Christian clapped. "Good. You should feel like that. So, there's one final test tonight, and then... celebration time!" Christian turned to Adam. "Please Addy-dick, can we please get pizza?"

Adam stared at him. "We did not spend all this time getting Matt into shape to gorge out on pizza."

Christian pouted. "Oh, come on, Addy-dick. We have to celebrate Matt succeeding. Mattie, you want pizza, right?"

Matt's mouth watered, thinking about the pepperoni and pineapple pizzas he, Shannon, Marty, Shane, and Jeff would order when they saw horror movies in Shannon's basement. Shannon's dad set up this movie theater-like room in the basement, and the five of them would meet down there and see 80's horror movies and Chinese imports. Jeff personally loved Halloween, Shannon had a thing for Leatherface, Shane showed them this foreign movie called The Host, Marty liked anything Wes Craven, and Matt thought the Evil Dead trilogy and the Hitcher took the cake.

"Yes," he said, "Oh God, I would love pepperoni and pineapple." Christian smiled and slapped Matt on the back.

"This guy's like my soulmate!" Christian said, "Well, Addy-dick, that's two to one. You've been outvoted."

"Outvoted?" Adam said. He shook his head. "This is not a democracy. You forget who cooks the meals. I could just... stop, you know. Do you want to cook for us?"

Matt and Christian exchanged glances. Christian couldn't cook for shit, and, while Matt made okay spaghetti, rice, and chicken, it was nothing near the magic Adam had in the kitchen.

"No fair," Christian whined, "How dare you threaten our meals?"

"Whose the king of this castle?" Adam asked. When neither Matt or Christian answered, Adam said, "Who?"

Matt and Christian both rolled their eyes and said, "You are."

Adam smiled. "Thank you. So, one pepperoni and pineapple, one meat lovers, and one four cheese pizza, right?"

Matt shook his head. "You're evil, Addy-dick."

"And I told you assholes to stop calling me that." As Adam walked inside, Christian shook his head.

"He didn't need another reason to be a dick," Christian said.

*

The final test. The one that would finally end his training. Matt convinced himself he was ready for it, and then allowed Adam to bring him into the basement. "You survive, we'll have pizza waiting for you," he said. Adam lit a candle and handed it to him. "And you survive by making sure that candle's lit when we let you out in an hour."

Adam left him in the cold, dank, dark basement and closed the door, locking it. Matt sat on the floor and watched the fire. It couldn't be that hard, could it?

Matt heard a scurrying, and he turned around, looking for where the sound originated from. No sign of anything. What are you afraid of, Matt? He silently scolded himself. You're on fire. On top of the world, remember? Just think about that pepperoni and pineapple pizza.

"Are you sure? Are you sure you're on top of the world? You're just a silly little boy who thinks he can play in the big leagues."

Matt looked around for the speaker, but there was no one. "I'm not silly. I survived the training. I can do anything."

"Really? All I've seen is your ability to run like a scared little dog. You ran while Daddy was murdered, you ran after Jeff died, you ran from Adam and Christian, you ran from Victoria..."

"I'm a different person now," Matt said. He noticed the flame grew smaller, and he fanned it a little, hoping it would glow, "I'm not the same person I was six months ago."

"Yes you are. You will always be that pathetic little coward, unable to stand on his own two feet, hiding behind the legs of men far greater than he will ever be."

"You know nothing about me," Matt said.

"Wrong, Matthew. I know you. I've watched." The fire died down with each word. "You are pathetic. Weak! A total waste of skin and breath."

"I'm not," Matt said, but his words became less and less resolute as the fire became smaller and smaller and the voice grew louder and more persistent. "I'm going to help Adam and Christian. You watch. I'm going to kill every single demon that crosses my path."

"They'll kill you first, you disappointment. You loser. You wretched excuse for a human being!" Matt closed his eyes as the fire disappeared entirely, smoke wafting up to his nose. The fire went out. He lost. He was a disappointment. "Maybe your family is better off dead. They didn't have to see what an utter failure you turned out to be."

Matt instantly felt his anger rise. He wasn't going to let this... whatever it was throw his parents and Jeff in his face. "I am NOT a waste!" Matt screamed, "I'm tired of listening to your bullcrap. I get too much of it from Adam, and from myself, to be taking any shit from you!"

The candle burst into flame, the fire brighter than it ever had been. The room was completely illuminated, and now he saw... he was completely alone. There was no one here but him. Who was he just arguing with?

Christian opened the door and he and Adam both ran downstairs. Christian looked at the candle openmouthed, and Adam was also in shock. "I thought you said an hour," Matt said.

"We did," Christian said slowly, "But... once the room brings your self esteem to the point where the candle's out, it's not supposed to relight. That's... impossible."

"How did you do that?" Adam asked. Matt shook his head, looking at the candle. He thought... well, he didn't know what to think. Fact: this candle somehow responded to his emotions. Fact: But that did not change the fact it had to be lit. Fact: Yet somehow it lit all by itself.

They ate the pizza in silence. All three of them wanted to say something, but facts were facts- something strange happened in that room. Did Matt cause it? Was it some other force? What the hell happened?

Finally, Christian had enough. He couldn't take long, pregnant, awkward silences. Who could? They were God awful and the person who finally broke the silence would seem like a jackass. Christian went to his room, came out with a boombox, and pressed play.

To be or not to be... Not! Hold Up, bring the beat back. Stop, I ain't ready yet. Wait, let me fix my hair (yes, yes) Yes mam (yes mam) Yes

Christian began swaying his hips to the beat as the music alerted Adam and Matt. They looked up and saw Christian dancing in the living room. Adam glared at Matt, and Christian said, "What? Don't blame him. I know all about you and your best friend Mr. Hairbrush." Christian smiled and motioned for them to join him as he began singing.

I think I'm ready  
Been locked up in the house way too long,  
It's time to get it,  
Cause once again he's out doing wrong,  
And my girls are so real,  
Said it's been a minute since I had some  
He's been acting up, but he won't be the only one

When neither made a move, Christian went over to Adam and pulled him off of the chair. "Oh hell no," Adam said, as Christian pulled him up. Matt was laughing, but Adam went over and immediately forced the younger brunette to his feet. "If I'm going to look like a fool, so are you," he sneered.

Oooh put your freakum dress on Oooh put your freakum dress on  
Oooh put your freakum dress on Oooh put your freakum dress on  
Oooh Every woman got one Oooh Shut it down when the time's come  
Oooh Pull out the big gun Oooh and put your freakum dress on

Christian was the only one singing, but he made Matt and Adam dance too. Soon, it was like Christian was Beyonce (except male, blond, and white) and Matt and Adam were his awkward background dancers. And awkward was right; while Christian was doing his booty shake right, Matt and Adam looked hopeless.

Soon as you saw me, turned on by how the dress was fitting right  
Short and backless (backless, backless)  
See my silhouette in the moonlight  
Such an attraction, keep telling me how my outfit's so nice  
Little did he know, Ha my man gonna take it off tonight

Matt laughed hard. As weird and strange as this was, Christian looked funny, jiggling like Beyonce. And hearing him talk about wearing a small dress was even funnier. Add the fact that Adam was dancing like Kevin James on crack... priceless.

When the song finished, Christian turned off the boombox. "Good. Now we can have dinner like we're supposed to- laughing and joking. This is a celebration! Not a funeral. God, do I have to shake my ass everytime something weird happens? Because in our line of business, we need a better tolerance for the spooky and unexplainable."

Adam nodded. "You're right. Don't worry; I have an idea that might shed some light on the situation."

Christian picked up a slice of pizza and bit into it. "Enlighten us, Addy-dick."

"We were going to leave to get Matt inked anyway. Might as well drop by and see Guerrero while we're at it." Matt looked at them, confused, but Adam just said, "You'll meet her tomorrow. And don't worry; she can help us."

*

After a long car trip, they ended up at a small, cozy looking house in Florida. Adam knocked on the door, and two young Mexicans opened the door.

"Adam, Christian, friend," one of them said. Adam grabbed his hand and shook it, and Christian did the same.

"Nice to see you, Rey," he said, "Chavo."

Chavo crossed his arms and looked at Matt. "Who is this, Adam?"

A loud voice came from inside the house. "Chavito, don't be rude to our guests. Let them in. Oh, and Matt, please take off your boots before you come in... you stepped on something, and I don't want that all over my carpet."

Matt checked the bottom of his shoe and grimaced; there was dog shit on it. He shook his head and took them off, making a mental note to watch where he was going more carefully in the future. Then, Matt realized that this woman, without ever seeing him, knew there was shit on his shoe... and his name.

"How the hell..." Matt said.

"Watch your tongue, man," Chavo said. Matt nodded, caught off guard (he only said hell!), and Chavo moved out of the way to let them in. Matt took off his boots and left them on the step before following Adam and Christian inside.

It was a normal living room, and a heavyset woman with long brown hair sat on the couch. She beckoned them over and patted on the couch, making room for some to sit. Rey stood by the door, and Chavo took a seat on one of the recliners. Adam and Christian sat on the loveseat, leaving Matt the spot next to the woman. She held out her hand and he shook it.

"It's nice to meet you too," she said, "I'm Vickie Guerrero, and you met my nephew Chavo and our little Rey." She smiled. "I understand, you're confused. Adam didn't warn you that I could see things, did he?"

"No he did not," Matt said, taking the seat.

"Well, I can. Past, present, future. I knew you were coming, your name, I know about poor Gilbert and Jeffrey... And I know why you're here- that little incident with the candle." Vickie looked at Adam and Christian. "So, you want me to look into Matt's future?"

Adam nodded. "Demons have been after him, and that incident with the candle... we need to know what lies ahead for him, and for us."

"You have to relax, Matt," Christian said, "Trust her. We wouldn't have brought you here if she was dangerous."

"And you're in no danger here," Vickie said, "My home has the same wards that their little swamp abode does. Speaking of which, boys, Hunter wants you to know that he's going to kick your ass for being inactive for so long."

"Did you tell him about Matt?" Christian asked.

"No, darling, that's your job. And I don't envy it." Vickie looked at Matt. "Hunter has a real mean streak, but he's just a big old Teddy Bear when you get down to it. He's just a man who misses what he could have had." Vickie held out her hands. "What we're going to see is the most probable future at this point. Don't worry; nothing is set in stone, so, even if it's a little bad or where you don't want to be, you can still change it. You must remain calm and, most importantly, don't go too far from me. If we need to leave for some reason, you have to be near so I can bring us back. Now, grab my hands."

Matt hesitated, but then did as he was told. He blinked, and, suddenly, he was no longer in the living room.

The only word to describe where they were at now was hell.

Matt and Vickie looked around in horror. Dead bodies littered the ground, all in weird positions. They were laid out like a display, shaped in a horrible symbol that sort of looked like Christian's triquetra tattoo, but obviously wasn't. Matt walked around, looking at the horror on their mutilated bodies, and he felt like screaming. What was this?

Then, he gasped in shock. He saw a familiar tuft of blond hair and he pulled the body out of the design- it was Christian, eyes glazed over. His throat had been cut, and he looked... Matt bit his lip and let him go. To see him like that was terrifying.

Then, he saw Adam's body, not too far away. Adam's throat had been cut too, and Matt instantly looked away. This couldn't have happened... or can't happen... Matt shook his head. This future can change. Vickie said that. But she also said it was the most probable future.

Then, on the very tip of the horrible design, he saw something horrible. He ran over and grabbed Jeff's body, barely recognizable after years of decay. He sobbed, looking at his very dead little brother. "Who... why would someone do this?" Matt cried. Why would someone dig up Jeff's body?

"It's a present for you." Matt turned around too quickly and fell to the floor. Standing behind him was Mark. Wait... it wasn't Mark. He had the same evil presense as Mark, the same dark, scary eyes, the same hair, but it wasn't Mark. And, although Matt didn't recognize the man, he still felt, at some base level, like he was familiar. "I've been waiting for you to arrive, Matt." He extended his hand, offering to help Matt to his feet. "Don't bother with the seer woman, she can't see me. I don't want her to. Only you can."

Matt ignored the hand and stood up on his own. He saw that the man was taller by a few inches, but the few inches were enough to be intimidating. Matt stared back though, refusing to back down. "I knew you'd be coming, Matt," he said, delighted by Matt's show of defiance "I've been waiting for you."

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	6. The Darkness

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews. Oh, and BIG BIG warning here: this one will get dark. Really dark. If you're not squeamish, please continue. If you call me sick, I will hit you over the head and remind you of this warning and the one in chapter one.  
**

**When we last left off, Matt and Vickie were in a bleak, horrible future, and Matt was face to face with the man who caused it. What's going to happen here? Read on...  
**

**Chapter Six: The Darkness  
**

"Waiting... for me?" Matt asked, "How did you even know I was coming?"

The man giggled. "That's sweet. You're clueless." He pulled a hand through Matt's hair. "I know things, and I know you. Plus, this has happened before."

"Really?" Matt asked.

"Time travel will hurt your head; don't think about it." He smirked. "Why haven't you tried to run yet?" It was a good question, one Matt couldn't answer. Why didn't he run? "I'll tell you why. Because you know, in here-" He touched Matt's chest, where his heart was- "That you can trust me."

"You're a murderer and a demon," Matt said, "I can't."

He poked Matt's head. "Is that what your brain says? Is that how the world's supposed to be? Forget about what you think is fact and fiction; every lesson you've ever learned was to pull you away from the simple fact."

"And what's that?" Matt sneered.

"The only concern I should have is me. The only concern you should have is you. In fact, this world is built on selfish impulses. Look in any bible of any religion... it is because of self-motivated men and women that we got anywhere. The only thing that should matter to you is you. Forget the world. Forget the Nightstalkers. Forget the demons. Forget everyone! What do you owe them?"

"Well, I owe the Nightstalkers my life a few times over," Matt sneered.

"Why? You were never in any danger." He crossed his arms. "No one can hurt you, Matt, not if you don't let them. You're too strong. And all Christian and Adam will do for you is confuse you, frustrate you, hurt you, and hold you back."

"You don't know them," Matt said.

He laughed. "You don't know them. I do. They will destroy you, Matt... and I will destroy them. Christian will lie to you until it's too late. And Adam... he'll hurt you the most. Because-" He picked up Christian's body and held it near Matt's face, making him look at the bright red gash on his neck.

"He's the one who did this."

"Now I know you're lying!" Matt screamed, "Adam would NEVER hurt Christian! Never!"

"He didn't hurt him... much. Well, actually, he damn near demolished Christian before he finally slit his throat and put him out of his misery..."

Matt wanted to hit him, but he saw Christian's body in his arms, and he held himself back. _Christian... I need you to open your eyes. You can't be dead. You and Adam can't leave me._

*

"Christian... I need you to open your eyes. You can't be dead. You and Adam can't leave me." Christian bolted up, hearing his name come out of Matt's mouth, but Rey made a sound.

"Don't touch him! If he and Vickie let go of hands, your friend will be stuck in the future!" Rey shouted.

"But... Matt..." Christian said, looking at him worried. Dead? As in, six feet under? Kicked the bucket? And Adam too?

"Please Christian, wake up." Matt's voice was frantic. "I can't lose another family." Christian walked over and kneeled next to Matt.

"Matt, I'm here. I'm alive. I'm fine. I'm not going to leave you," he said. "I'm right here. Don't worry."

"I need you, and I need Adam, please. Please wake up." Adam walked over, almost hypnotized by Matt's words.

"We're here. We... we're fighting with you, Matt. Always." Adam wanted to hold Matt, reassure him, but he had to come back.

"What's happening?" Christian asked Rey and Chavo.

"I don't know," Rey said honestly, "I'm sorry."

"Shit," Christian looked at Matt's face, and it kept scrunching in fear. "Listen to me, Matt. Addy-dick and I are here. We're not leaving you any time soon. I don't care what you're seeing in that future... I can beat it. We can beat it. Just come back."

*

Matt looked at Christian's body, willing it to wake up, to look at him and make another joke, to smile at him and promise everything will be alright, something...

"Matt!" Vickie shouted, "Let's go!"

"If you alert the seer, I swear I'll kill her," the man growled, "Add another body to my collection. And trust me, it's a very big collection. I wouldn't even be able to find her fat body in the mass."

He dropped Christian's body like a piece of trash, and Matt immediately bent down, touching Christian's face. "Wake up," he said, "You're not dead. You can't die. Wake up."

"Look at me, Matt." Matt looked up at him. "He's dead. Adam slit his throat in an act of premeditated murder. And I killed Adam the same way he killed Christian."

Matt tried to stand up, to attack him, but he was frozen in place. He couldn't move. The man chuckled and bent down to look Matt in the eyes. "I swear to you, Adam killed Christian. After they both killed you."

Matt closed his eyes. _Christian, Adam, please. I need you. I need you to tell me he's lying. Because he is. Adam and Christian love each other. If anything, they'd kill me before they killed one another._

"That's what I said, Matt. They killed you before they turned on each other." Matt opened his eyes in disbelief. Did he read his mind? "I know what you're thinking, Matt, and no, I did not read your mind. I just know." He stroked Matt's cheek. "I could stop it, you know. I can make it so that they will never hurt each other. You can go back and they will always be happy with you." He laughed. "You can move now."

Matt stumbled, catching himself so he wouldn't fall on Christian. "On your knees, Matt? You don't need to bow to me." He kneeled down and grabbed Matt's chin, forcing it up. "Let me save you, Matt. Let me save him."

"Matt! I'm going over there!"

"Stop her before I kill her!" The man snapped.

"Vickie, it's alright!" Matt shouted, "Just... wait a moment." Matt stared into his eyes, unable to shake the feeling they were familiar. "Don't hurt her."

"Then, let me help you. I'm your only ally, past, present, and future, Matt. Let me in." He grabbed Matt's chin tighter and pulled him closer. Matt blinked, surprised by the action, and tried to pull away, but the man was stronger. Their lips brushed together and Matt's eyes rolled back into the back of his head as he felt things rushing through his body to his mind.

Images of people screaming in fear, people begging for help, endless amount of blood, and the sound of bones cracking and snapping filled his brain, flicking between reality and the sick fantasies. He shivered as he saw his own handhold the knife that sliced Adam's throat, the older man Matt cared about looking betrayed and confused. Matt could feel the warm blood trailing down his wrist, and he wanted to scream, but the man's lips pushed further into his, making it impossible to do so.

Another image, and then another…each becoming more intense and frightening. The sound of flesh, blood, and bone being destroyed echoed through his ears and the screaming became louder. Decapitate arms, legs, heads and even torsos became prominent images within his mind, eliciting long streams of perspiration to roll down his neck. Each new image made Matt more nervous, more afraid, more angry...

Black, shadowy tentacles came out of the man's body and reached out to Matt's. Matt was ready to accept them, ready to see anything but the horrors that filled his mind, ready to feel anything but Adam's blood on him and this man's lips on his. Tears streaked down Matt's cheeks as he saw mothers being ripped apart while their children could do nothing but watch, demons chew on the children while they fruitlessly tried to run away, and people praying, hoping that God would hear them, but he never did. Only the man and Matt could hear them, and Matt couldn't help them.

Matt heard Vickie scream his name, but it didn't matter- the tentacles offered reprieve. It promised Matt comfort from the evils of the world. And he needed that right now. The man didn't need to breathe, so he kept feeding Matt his oxygen, making sure he lived. _Just accept it, Matt. There's a better life for you and those you love if you just give in._

Vickie began running over, fearing for Matt's life, but she felt herself get pushed back. "Matt!" she screamed. Whatever was happening would destroy this future... and her and Matt along with it, if they got caught in a collapsing dimension.

_Wrong, you fat cow. You'll die. Not Matt._ The man wanted to laugh, bit had to keep feeding Matt the images as the tentacles pulled him in. Matt was giving in, just like he knew he would.

_Listen to me, Matt. Addy-dick and I are here. We're not leaving you any time soon. I don't care what you're seeing in that future... I can beat it. We can beat it. Just come back._

Matt blinked as new images filled his head. Christian healing his wounds after the first day. Adam singing Freakum Dress into a hairbrush. All of them dancing and eating Pizza. Jeff and him at the carnival. His father at a track meet, cheering him on as he won first place. Shannon, Marty, Shane, Jeff, and him all fishing. His first date with Amy. Christian telling him he liked Woodstock better than Snoopy. Beating Adam's time of getting to the house.

The man pushed harder, but now the new images took control. Matt as a baby, being bounced on his Mom's lap. The first time his brown eyes met Jeff's green, seeing the baby with small tufts of blond hair. Holding Jeff when Mom died, making him feel better. Getting 100 in Geometry. When he, Amy, Marty, Shane, Jeff, and Beth all jumped off a bridge. When Matt and Shannon made a video about their love of French Fries. Matt and Jeff having an egg fight. Christian slapping his back, calling him his soul mate while they begged for Pineapple and Pepperoni Pizza. Adam carrying him away when he was all tied up.

The happier memories soon won out, and all Matt could see was the smiling faces of those he cared about: his parents, Jeff, Shannon, Marty, Shane, Amy, Beth, Adam, and Christian. He could fight this. He had to do it for them.

"No!" Matt pushed the man away, refused the tentacles, stumbling away. "No, I won't accept you!"

The man shook his head. "It's too late, Matt. You ran out of time ages ago. You can't run from me."

"Whose running?" Matt and the man blinked as Christian stood up, seemingly unfazed by the cut on his neck. "Matt doesn't need to run from you. He's stronger than you. And, if he fumbles, me and Adam are here for him."

"You're dead!" The man snapped.

"As long as Matt needs me, I'll find my way to him," Christian said, crossing his arms. He looked back at Matt, smiling. "It's not too late, Matt. It's never too late. I'll hold him back. You just run to Vickie and get out of here, okay?"

Matt nodded and stood up. "Matt, you can't run," he said harshly.

"Says who?" Christian retorted, "You're not the boss of him."

"You can go back to your present, but I swear you'll rue the day you spurned my gift. Christian and Adam will both die and it'll all be because of you!" He spat.

"Wrong," Christian said, "You've been trying to manipulate him, but it won't work. Matt, run back. I swear, everything will be alright." Christian closed his eyes, thinking about all the mistakes he made where Matt was concerned. But Adam didn't kill him, and they certainly didn't kill Matt. Christian would kill himself before he laid a hand on Matt.

Matt began to run to Vickie. The man reached out, but Christian grabbed him and stopped him from going anywhere near him. "You won't hurt him," Christian said, "Not on my watch."

"This time will be no different," The man promised, "The future you see now, Dead One, will come to pass."

"It will be. Because Matt can beat you," Christian said. Matt reached Vickie and she grabbed his hands, trying to focus.

"We'll see, my dear Christian," he sneered. And then, they disappeared.

*

Matt blinked, never happier to use his own eyes. Christian jumped on top of Matt, wrapping his arms around him. "Thank God," he hissed, "I swear, you scared me to death!"

"I'm fine," Matt said, not really lying. Although he was freaked out, he was more touched; Christian found him and helped him. And, if he was right, it was Adam who fed him those pictures, making him see all the good in his world.

Adam wrapped his arms around him too, and he said, "What did you see?"

Matt shook his head. "Doesn't matter. It won't happen. We can fix it."

Adam nodded, and Christian pulled away and saluted. "That's right, soldier Hardy! We will stop that future."

Vickie stood up, smoothing down her clothes. She went over and grabbed Christian and Adam's right hands, and she joined them together. Then she grabbed Matt's and put his along with their's. "Listen to me," she said, "The future is not set in stone, but a few things are. Some things WILL come to pass, and you have to be ready for them."

Vickie looked at Adam. "You will soon have to remember that new things shouldn't cancel out beloved old things." Adam nodded, although he was confused by the cryptic way she said it. Vickie turned to Matt. "Always keep in mind that, when you chase shadows, you could lose what's real." Matt quietly took that in, although he didn't know what she meant either. Then, she turned to Christian. "You poor thing," she said. She bent in and whispered in his ear, and his eyes widened.

"How..."

"Seer, remember?" she said.

He shook his head. "It's already too late for that one, Vickie."

"What did she say?" Matt asked.

Vickie slapped his shoulder. "Stop being nosy!" She smiled softly. "Now, for all three of you. Allies come from weird places; learn to notice who is really there to aid you. Your pasts are not in the past; they will come to bite you in the ass. And, last but not least..." She looked directly at Matt. "One day, you will stand in front of the Demon Master, as his guest or as his prisoner... however you like to see it."

Christian looked at her. "That won't happen."

"It will," Vickie said, "Mark will get his hands on Matt. Matt will go to the demon realm. The only question is, will Matt be ready when he gets there?"

"I don't think you heard Christian," Adam said, "It won't happen. I won't let it."

"Ooh, you got Addy all caveman," Christian said, squeezing Adam's hand and throwing him a wink. Adam scowled and pulled his hand away.

"When someone becomes my teammate, they're going to be protected," Adam said, "I'd give up my life for either Christian or Matt in a heartbeat. Mark will not get to Matt, that's a promise."

Vickie closed her eyes. "I wish life was that simple."

Matt looked at Adam, and Adam turned to him and said, "Don't think that means I'm going to go easy on either of you."

"We wouldn't dare, Addy-dick," Matt said. Just when you think Adam's a total sap, he reminds you that he's a dick. But hey, Christian and Matt would have him no other way. "But I agree one hundred percent. Christian and Adam get my life, flat second."

Christian shrugged. "If I don't make the same promise, then I'm the asshole of the group, so... yup, I'd give my life for these clowns."

Vickie smiled. "Such sweet sentiments. Chavito, get me my camera." Chavo left, and Vickie pointed at a wall they all looked at. It was littered with pictures with various duos. "Every single Nightstalker group that's come to me, I've taken their picture. I want one of the three of you."

Matt walked to the wall and saw various pictures. "See that one?" Christian said, pointing at two men with long, blonde hair. One was skinny and almost feminine, and the other muscular, masculine, and graced with a beak that would put Toucan Sam to shame. "That's Shawn and Hunter. They trained us. And these-" He pointed at another picture. "That's Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. They trained Shawn and Hunter." He pointed at another picture. "That's Dave and John, and they're really good friends... well, of mine. They both hate Adam. And that one's Phil and Chris, although they call themselves Punk and Jericho. Don't ask me why, they just do. That one is Brian and Paul... well, I don't like them, but you'll probably meet them eventually."

Then, one picture of two men with long blond hair caught Matt's eye. He looked at it and started laughing. Christian looked at the picture and blushed. "Yes, I had long hair. It's not that funny."

"Yes it is!" Matt howled, "Look at you! You look ridiculous!" Christian slapped his back as Chavo came out with the camera. He gave it to Vickie, and she motioned for them to get together.

"Oh, and Matt darling, please get in the middle. Christian will give Adam the bunny ears if he's next..." She trailed off as she saw him looking at a picture of two Hispanic people, a man and a woman who was unmistakably her except younger, holding each other and looking very happy. She gulped and said, "Don't mind that one. Just get in the picture."

"You were a hunter?" Matt asked.

"Once upon a time, when I was younger and better coordinated," she said.

Matt looked at the man she was holding, and knew he must be among the dead. And that she loved him very, very much. He looked at Christian and Adam, who were waiting for him, and hoped that they could change the future. He walked over and Adam and Christian both put arms around his shoulders. They all smiled (except Adam, who sort of half smiled) as Vickie took the picture.

As they left, Vickie replaced the old Adam and Christian picture with the one of Christian, Matt, and Adam. She looked at it, kind of sad... it was weird, how the picture represented their future. She just hoped they listened when she warned them earlier.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	7. The Gore and the Glamorous

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews. Reading them, I found the first review to ever make me sad. Really, to hear that someone couldn't wait for something to happen... and then when it finally does, it's really, really awful... (shakes head) I'm sorry. But, like I said, bad things are going to happen to very good people. **

**When we last left off, Matt, Christian, and Adam left Vickie's and have gone on the road. Matt's got the tattoo now, and they have a few successful hunts under their belt. But things are about to get serious...  
**

**Chapter Seven: The Gore and the Glamorous  
**

Raven watched quietly as demons flooded into the large room. He didn't want to be here; he had two pretty little Nightstalkers that he was playing with, squeezing every last bit of fear from their sweet bodies. But when his Master called, he answered; it was the way things always were.

"Raven." Raven turned around and saw Mark behind him, crossing his arms.

"Yes, Master?"

"Call their attention."

Raven nodded and closed his eyes, sending each demon a picture of Hunter Hearst Helmsley chopping them in half with an axe. A few demons screamed, some fell, but they all now knew to look up at Raven. Kane looked up right away, and Raven smiled; he liked that the big lummox had no fear of death. If Raven were to accept a partner, it would be Kane: no questions, no comments, no words period- just action.

"The time for action has come," Mark said, "All of you here have some level of sentience, which means you know not to cause wildfires, or destroy buildings, or massacres. That's not what we want yet. What we want is chaos for the Nightstalkers. It is open season on them; I want you to kill each and every one you can find. The more you kill, the more value you hold in my eyes."

Mark turned to Raven. "Show them the boys."

Raven concentrated, and a vision of Adam, Christian, and Matt filled all of their minds. "Those three are off limits. Kill one of them, and I will personally torment you for centuries on end. You know your task; hop to it." Demons blinked out, but a few stayed. The stronger ones.

"Master," One of them said, "Surely you won't deny me Adam and Christian. I marked them as my prey years ago."

Kane looked at Mark and nodded his agreement; he wanted to get his hands on the ones trained by Michaels and Helmsley as well.

"You are all different," Mark said, "Everyone who has stayed is allowed to take a shot at the blond ones. But the blond ones only."

Raven giggled. "We all know better than to kill Matthew, sire." He thought about how Matt and Jeff looked at each other before he advanced on Jeff, and he said, "And the others will have a hell of a time trying to handle him."

"You think so?"

"If he's been trained... then yes. I think Matthew's like a bulldog that way... tenacious to the end." Raven looked at him. "He's not going to accept his fate easily."

"I know that." Mark looked at him. "What do you think it'll take?"

"What do I think it'll take?" Raven smirked, and Mark knew he asked the right person. "The world needs to destroy him. He has to be hit and hit until he can't move anymore. He has to lose every single person who would try to help him back up. And, when he's about ready to take his own life... we pick up the pieces. It'll be brutal, but Matt's not exactly a demon, so he won't be compelled to blood and power lust like the others. He needs to give up on the concept of humanity before he gives up his own."

Mark grinned. "Maybe I should give Matthew to you for a while."

"He'll come back something unrecognizable from the child we met about a year ago." Raven looked at Mark. "Now, if you excuse me, I have two Nightstalkers to attend to. You want to watch?"

"No thanks."

"But this one's special," Raven insisted, "They love each other."

"You found lovers?"

"The best of them," Raven said, "Their worst fear is to see the other die. And I've gotten very creative with the deaths I've made them see; this last one will be a work of art onto itself."

"I wish I could, Raven, but I have another matter to attend to," Mark looked at him, "You know there's only a week left..."

"Oh." Raven grinned. "So, Matthew's going to get a lovely little surprise?"

"It's the least I can do for his twentieth birthday. I did miss the other nineteen." Mark disappeared, and Raven rubbed his hands together.

"Back to my toys."

*

Brian pulled against his binds, but they didn't budge. It was a routine with him; for the past two weeks, he'd try to pull out in the morning, rest, yell insults, and then he'd swear vengeance.

"Bri? Are you okay?" Paul called from the other end of the room, similarly tied to a chair.

"Yeah, Paul." Brian pulled again. "No one's coming for us, are they?"

"No."

Brian laughed hollowly. "Then I got us killed."

"Don't think like that," Paul insisted, "You had no way of knowing we weren't going after simple Deception Demons. This isn't your fault."

"Paul, if you had another partner, one who double checks shit, then you wouldn't be tied to a chair," he moaned.

"I couldn't have asked for a better partner," Paul said simply. Brian shook his head, trying not to cry.

"Paul, I don't want you to die here," he whined.

"If I die here, I died with you. That's what matters."

"Is it?" A shiver ran down Paul's spine; Raven was back.

"Please, let Paul go," Brian said, "That way he'll be taunted by the fact I died and he didn't."

"As tempting as that sounds, I know you just want him to live so you can die happy." Raven laughed. "How about I inflict every non fatal wound I can think of and we'll see which of you dies first? Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Brian, don't look," Paul said.

Raven laughed. "The things he sees when his eyes close far exceed the evil he sees when his eyes are open, Paulie."

*

Matt lazily lay his head against the car door as Adam flipped through the radio and Christian drove. After killing another Rage Demon, all Matt wanted to do was sleep, but Adam insisted on going to get supplies.

Matt didn't understand how they had money for anything. None of them worked; when they weren't hunting, they were sleeping, or keeping in shape, or looking for more demons to hunt.

"Where are we going?" Matt asked.

"To Wisconsin," Christian answered. Adam finally landed on a station, and Christian scowled. "We are not listening to Metalingus."

"Yes we are."

"We always listen to Metalingus!"

"Because I like the song, damn it!" Adam slapped his knees, "On this day, I see clearly, everything has come to life..."

"Matt, please slap Addy-dick so he can stop singing!" Christian snapped. Christian had been driving since 4 am and was less than his usual happy-go-lucky self.

"Why are we going to Wisconsin?" Matt asked.

"Because we need cash and ammo," Christian said.

"Fear will kill me, all that could be..."

"Adam, I hate you so very much right now."

"Now you know how I feel, asshole."

"Addy-dick and Asshole..." Matt mused.

"Don't you dare think it," Adam warned.

"Hey, if we're three parts of a whole, that makes you a pussy, Matt," Christian said.

"Go to hell, Christian."

"Already there. Adam, stop singing that damn song!" Christian snapped. He turned off the radio.

"I was listening to that," Adam said.

"Yeah, well, driver chooses station, and Adam's a dick, so he can shut up."

Adam stuck his tongue out at Christian, Christian flipped him the bird, and they settled into silence afterwards. Ah well. Matt knew they'd turn the radio back on eventually and sing out of tune to a song they both liked.

A few minutes later, Matt broke the silence. "Why Wisconsin?"

"Because our generous financier lives there," Adam said.

"We have one of those?"

"We'd starve otherwise," Christian said, "And it'd be a shame to put Adam's culinary skills to waste like that."

"His Dad backed Shawn and Hunter, he inherited the job," Adam said, "You've got to respect the pretty boy and his trophy wife to their faces, though. I will kill you if our funding's cut."

"Okay," Matt said, "Who is it?"

"Randy Orton."

Matt's eyes bugged out. "Randy Orton? As in, Orton electronics?"

"One and the same," Christian said.

"The heir to Orton electronics is you financier?"

"We said that," Adam said, sighing, "Sometimes, I swear you and Christian are missing brain cells."

Matt slapped Adam, and Christian said, "Finally!" He laughed. "Yes, Randy Orton finances us. Randy understands some of the idea of hunting, but not a lot of it. Humor him if he says something stupid. You're totally allowed to ogle his wife; he'd ogle at yours. And behave, Matt."

"When don't I?" Matt asked.

"Denial," Adam announced.

*

When they got to the house/mansion (it was huge), they were greeted by the Orton's butler, who immediately escorted them to the sitting room. Randy was waiting there, and Matt introduced himself meekly- the orange man looked like he could snap at any minute, and the last thing Matt wanted was to misbehave and they'd lose their funding.

"A third member," Randy said, looking at Matt interestedly, "My father always said there were only two per group."

"Ours is an exception," Christian said.

"I see. Well, Adam, Cena has been trying to contact you two for days; he's gotten to be very rude about it. Why don't you go see what him and his meathead partner want?"

Matt's eyebrows raised- kind of rude. "I think it best that I make the call," Christian said.

"No, Christian, sit! We have to talk," Randy said, "Adam can make the call."

Adam shook his head; neither John Cena nor Dave Batista liked him. "You have no choice," Christian sighed, pushing him, "Go talk to them. God, I swear you get yourself into these situations, Addy-dick."

"Grisham!" Randy shouted. The butler walked in and bowed ceremoniously. "Take Adam to the protected phone, now!"

"Right away, Mr. Orton." Grisham motioned for Adam to follow him, and Matt was beginning to like Randy less and less. He had no reason to be rude to Grisham.

Randy looked at Christian. "So, what do you three need? I guess I'm feeding and clothing him too, right?"

Christian nodded. "Don't worry about it, Orton, you won't break bank."

"Because I'm worth hundreds of millions, dummy," Randy said, rolling his eyes, "But sounds good. Give me an estimate of what you think you'll need."

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Orton?" Matt said, unable to take it anymore.

"Call me Randy. And yes?"

"Where's your bathroom?" Matt asked. Randy gave him directions to the bathroom. Christian gave him a look that read 'Don't you dare leave me alone with Daddy's little brat'. Matt ignored it, knowing Christian would kill him later, and he went to the bathroom.

He opened the door and was shocked to find a half naked woman already in there. She was wearing a brown bikini, but she was also holding a blue one and a white and gold one.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to walk in on you."

She turned around and smiled at him. "It's okay. Most guys would've sneaked a peek at me without even saying anything. Besides, I'm going to wear this swimsuit outside anyway. So, which do you think'll look better on me?"

She put the white and gold one in front of her, then the blue, and then she moved them away to show off the brown one. "I like the one you have on," Matt said.

"You do? Me too." She smiled. "Name's Mickie Orton. You?"

"Matt Hardy."

"Nice to meet you," she said, "You with Adam and Christian?" He nodded. "A third hunter. Rare, but not unheard of."

Matt stared at her. "What do you mean? I thought, traditionally..."

She shook her head. "The first Nightstalkers were a group of three. Reason, emotion, balance. Birth, life, death. Three was an important number in Ancient Greece." She pointed at his left arm. "Can I... can I see?"

"Sure." Mickie went over to him and pulled up his sleeve, revealing his new triquetra tattoo. She traced it with a finger, looking at it like she wished she had one of her own.

"Anaxander, Toltec, and Hector. They were the original three. Anaxander of Greece, Toltec of the Persian empire, Hector of Troy: representing the three major civilizations of their time. Toltec was a man of reason; do what need be done to get the job done. Hector was a man of emotion; do the moral thing, keep people alive. Anaxander grounded his friends." Mickie looked at it, interested, and Matt couldn't help but think she wasn't just some socialite bimbo.

"You're no trophy wife," Matt commented.

She smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I mean... the way Adam and Christian said it..."

"Adam and Christian never talked to me privately. Randy wants an idiot for a wife, so an idiot I must look like." Mickie stood up and walked over to her sun dress, throwing it on herself. "We all play our part in the grand scheme of things. Mine is making sure that arrogant dillweed doesn't cut your funding."

Matt leaned against the door. "You don't love him?"

"He married me so he can get his inheritance and because I'm nice to look at. I figure it's a fair trade." Mickie sat on the toilet. "Don't you think so?"

"You could've became a hunter, you know."

"I figure making sure people who were trained most of their lives can fight on is a way I can help too." Mickie shook her head. "My job is just as important as yours. Besides, I can sneak you guys goodies while I'm at it."

"Goodies?" Matt asked. Mickie winked and opened her bathroom closet- which was the size of Matt's room at the house- and came back out with a pouch.

"Potions," Mickie said, "Be careful when you use them. There's one to make you untrackable for a few hours, one for sleep, one for knocking people out..."

"What's the difference?" Matt asked.

"Sleeping is a good thing; getting knocked out is bad." Mickie shook her head. "Maybe you should be posing as the trophy wife."

"You think Randy would marry me?" Matt joked, "With my chunky figure?"

"Shut up, girlfriend," Mickie teased, "You have a fabulous figure. Whoever you get will be lucky as hell." Matt laughed and so did Mickie. "Well, there's some other stuff in there. They come in handy. Come on, let's go join my husband and your friends."

*

"Hello? Christian?"

"Guess again, Hulk-boy," Adam said, scowling. He would've preferred Dave; at least he didn't find the need to push his buttons.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the ultimate whiner." John Cena sighed; he hated Adam and his borderline obsessive ways when it came to hunting, and his know it all attitude.

"We can exchange banter later, fatty. What do you want to say?"

"Something's up. Demons are getting trigger happy. Nightstalkers are dying at an alarming rate. Shad and Jayson are dead. Ken and Alvin are dead."

Adam shook his head. "Look, John, it's sad, but these guys weren't the planning type. They ran into things without looking through. I don't think we can call a hit without better facts..."

"Adam. Paul and Brian are dead."

Adam's eyes widened. Paul and Brian were among the best of the younger generation. "Paul and Brian?"

"Yes. Paul and Brian. Don't you get it yet, idiot? The list is piling, and we're on the menu. Beth's dead. Torrie's dead. They're gunning for us."

Adam rubbed his mouth in confusion. "What do you suggest we do?"

"We have to group up. Protect each other."

"We can't do that," a gruff voice said, "Too many scattered demon attacks. Innocent people will die if we do that."

"Dave's right," Adam said, "We'll just have to be careful. You told everyone?"

"Everyone I can. Got in touch with Punk, Shawn, AJ, Tommy, Rob, Ashley, Kevin... I'm doing the best I can. Where have you guys been? You've been inactive for a few months, and then you suddenly return..."

"We were taking care of something," Adam said. He didn't feel the need to explain Matt to Cena; it would somehow get around, and they'd have to explain Matt to Shawn and Hunter... even the things they couldn't explain, like why Mark wanted him and how the candle burst into flame. Knowing Shawn, he'd probably suggest turning Matt out. Heck, Hunter would suggest something worse. But Adam had grown attached to the brunette, almost as attached as he was to Christian, and he be damned if he let Shawn and Hunter bully him. Only he could bully Matt.

"That excuse won't fly with Hunter."

"Tell that little fucker it doesn't fly with me either," Adam heard Dave say.

"Tell Dave to butt out. What Christian and I do is what Christian and I do; it's not yours, Dave's, or Hunter's business."

"You wouldn't say that to him."

"Yes I would. I'm a grown man now; not the little kid he trained. Thanks for the warning, beefbrain, but we have to get on the road if we're going to handle this uprising," Adam said.

"Alright then. Watch yourself. It'd be a shame if another hunter died... even if it is you." Adam rolled his eyes; maybe it wouldn't be a shame if John died. The phone hang up, and Adam put the phone on the receiver. They had business to take care of; that came before idiots named Cena at all times.

*

Mickie brought Matt back to the room, and Adam and Christian were talking to Randy. Randy looked at her and smiled. "You get prettier everytime I see you."

"Weren't you going to introduce me to your new friend?" Mickie asked, rubbing Matt's shoulders like she was in awe of him. Matt suppressed a laugh; she was a good actress. "And Christian and Adam! Come here and say hi to me!" They walked over and Mickie hugged them both extra tightly.

"This is Matt," Christian said, putting an arm around him, "He's a new hunter." He bent in close. "_And I'm going to kill him later," _Christian whispered, patting Matt's back menacingly. Matt just smiled at him, showing him he wasn't afraid.

"They were leaving, Mickie dearest," Randy said.

Mickie pouted. "But they just got here! Maybe they'd like some lemonade, Iced Tea..."

"Actually, we do need to go," Adam said, "Thanks for your hospitality, though."

Mickie went over to Randy and wrapped herself around his arm, acting helpless. "You must come back soon, though!"

"We will," Christian promised.

*

A few minutes after they got back on the road, Christian insisted on making a pit stop to go to the bathroom. A while later, he came back with a bag.

"What is that?" Adam asked.

"Mind your business, Adam. It's your turn to drive." Christian put the bag in the trunk and then got in the car.

"No really, what is it?" Matt asked.

"I haven't forgotten that I want to kill you, Matthew, so watch yourself," Christian warned. "Don't worry; you'll find out soon enough."

"When?"

"In a week, Matt. Just wait." Christian turned to Adam. "So, what did Cena want?"

"To warn us. Demons are hunting us now."

"Ooh, the hunters are the hunted." Christian rubbed his hands together. "Bring it on."

"Why are you happy?" Matt asked, confused.

"Because, for once, they'll come looking for me. Less work." Christian turned to Adam. "So, have we a demon attack nearby?"

Adam looked at the list. "Well, looks like a Nausea Demon has taken residence a few miles north."

Matt threw Christian a look. "Yes, Matt, they're as nasty as they sound. Adam, please, take your time getting there."

As the car started, Matt started thinking about the bag. What was happening a week from now that Christian had to buy something?

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	8. Weight of Untold Secrets

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews. Reading them, I found the first review to ever make me sad. Really, to hear that someone couldn't wait for something to happen... and then when it finally does, it's really, really awful... (shakes head) I'm sorry. But, like I said, bad things are going to happen to very good people. **

**When we last left off, Matt, Christian, and Adam started to head to a small town to face down a Nausea Demon. But the target on their heads is still there, and there's plans for Matt's upcoming birthday...  
**

**Chapter Eight: Weight of Untold Secrets**

**"Relentless, remorseless, it was; all his protests, his screams, were nothing to it—it did its cruel will with him, as if his wishes, his feelings, had simply no existence at all; it cut his throat and watched him gasp out his life." -Upton Sinclair  
**  
Nine Months Ago

Matt sat in the chair, wishing someone other than police and doctors would talk to him. It was hard for him to believe that, only a few days ago, he had a brother and a father, and he was pretty happy. Now, it was in and out of the police station, spending the nights at the Sheriff's house. He couldn't call his friends, or Amy... anyone.

The door opened and he looked up. A big, bald man with a beard and mustache sat across the table from him. "Hello Matthew."

"Hey."

"My name is Agent Williams, and I'd like to talk to you a little." He smiled, but there was nothing comforting about his smile. "How old are you?"

"Doesn't it say that in my file?"

"It does, but I'd rather hear it from you," he said.

"I turned nineteen three weeks ago," Matt said.

"Well, happy belated."

"Yeah, real happy," Matt snapped.

"Well, don't get snippy with me, Matthew. Now, I know you were a straight A student, and one of the stars of your school's track team. The world was your oyster. Why aren't you in college?"

"I was," Matt said, "I went to University of North Carolina for a while, but then Dad got sick. He needed me, and Jeff wasn't doing too well in school, so I dropped out."

"I see. And then you..."

"Cooked meals. Made sure Jeff didn't skip school. Took care of Dad. Worked at the local sandwich shop." Matt looked up. "I did what I had to do for my family."

"You weren't resentful?"

"Why should I..." Matt's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to find a motive from me?"

Agent Williams shook his head. "Don't think that."

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to think?" Matt stood up. "I ran all the way to the police station, filled with fear and rage over what I saw, and you'd try to pin me for their deaths? That's fucking rich."

"Matthew, I know you did not kill them." Matt saw the look in his eyes and froze. What was going on? "But I think you saw something very tragic, and it's messing with your brain..."

"My brain's fine," Matt insisted.

"Matthew, you couldn't fit through that window. There are no such things as men who make people explode, or who can push their hand through a body and pull out a heart," Agent Williams said gently.

"I know, it sounds crazy, but..." As soon as Matt said crazy, it dawned on him. "You- you can't- you're going to send me to an asylum."

"It's for the best."

"No... no!" Matt shook his head, but then he calmed down a little. "I'm not crazy. I'm not. I know... I know what I saw. I know what happened. You can't send me there."

"Matthew, you could be a real productive member of society one day-"

"You must know, deep down, that I'm telling the truth-"

"-and you have too much potential-"

"-Does this look like the face of an insane person?"

"-to waste because of a horrible event." Agent Williams looked into Matt's eyes. "This is a chance for you to heal, Matthew, and maybe, one day, you'll be able to tell us what you really saw."

"I did!" Matt gripped the table. "I told you people everything, about Raven and his Master..."

Agent Williams looked up. "Raven and his Master?" He stood up, and Matt saw that the names clicked with him.

"You know I'm not insane," Matt implored, "Please, please... don't let them take me there."

Agent Williams shook his head. "We've looked through databases, and those men do not exist, Matthew. This has been explained to you."

"But I saw! You know those names!" Matt pleaded.

"No, I don't."

"You're lying."

"I'm not. And Matthew, they will be here for you shortly," Agent Williams said. He turned around. "Get yourself ready for that."

"I won't let them," Matt said sternly, "I'm not crazy. I don't belong there."

"You do, and you are going, whether you like it or not. Only question is, will you walk into the van, or will they put you in a straight jacket and carry you into it." Agent Williams left Matt alone, and he knew then that his old life was officially over. He wouldn't even be allowed to attend his father and brother's funerals- Matt sat in that small white room then, holding the Snoopy and wishing he was somehow able to save Jeff.

*

Present

His phone rang. He was about to ignore it, but, when people called him, it wasn't usually to ask him to see a movie. He picked up the phone and said, "What the fuck do you want?"

"We heard you're on the trail of something big."

He laughed. "Hunter, I can't control what you hear, no more than I can control Shawn's arrogance. Hi, Rapunzel."

"Hey! I'm not arrogant, and I told you to never call me that."

"Sure. You're the only Nightstalker I know that's somehow able to find an hour to fix his hair." He laughed. "And since I don't listen to you, Rapunzel, you can keep saying it until your face turns blue."

Shawn mumbled, and Hunter said, "Be serious. You're on the trail of something."

"I am. Signs have been popping up rapidly of something big happening. End of the world big." He looked through his papers. "And they're all happening in a circle around this one town. There's been signs of a lower level demon around there, but the stuff going on in the surrounding area... animals have died, the temperature's been rocky, electrical storms... I haven't seen this since the massacre in North Carolina."

"You don't think Mark's coming back, do you?" Hunter asked.

"You're right, I don't think. I know." He stood up and grabbed his duffel bag. "I'm going over there. I was too late to stop him once, not again."

"Who are the nearest Nightstalkers over there?" Hunter asked.

"Interesting you should ask that. I checked the scanner, and it's your pups."

"Adam and Christian?"

"Yeah."

"I'll kill them," Hunter vowed, "They were gone for seven months, no word of anything!"

"I'll be sure to ask the little chicks what they were thinking. But I think it's more imperative to keep them off the demon's dead Nightstalker list."

Hunter was quiet, but then he said, "Dwayne would be proud of you."

"He would, wouldn't he?" He chuckled. "Trying to do my partner proud. Well, I should get there soon."

"I get to kill Adam and Christian, okay? Not Mark. Keep those boys safe for us."

"Will do, Hunt. When's the last time you saw Aurora and Murphy?"

It was Hunter's turn to be silent. "Don't bring them up with me."

"You haven't even seen Ste-"

"If you had a heart, you'd shut the fuck up right now." Hunter shook his head. "I have one life. I'm a Nightstalker. I can't think about the stuff I did as normal Hunter, because he no longer exists."

"Sheesh, so dark. Look, I have to go. Keep Rapunzel and yourself safe, okay?"

"You don't need to tell me that." Hunter hung up, and the man laughed. Hunter was always so serious. Especially when it came to the three years he and Shawn tried to live a normal life.

He put the duffel on his motorcycle and revved the engine. Mark wouldn't get away with another massacre. Why? Because he said so.

*

Adam unwrapped a sandwich and passed it to Matt as Christian talked to the latest victim's mother. The past few days, they've been trying to pin down the Nausea demon, but to no avail. He was doing something truly horrifying- somehow, he made his victims vomit uncontrollably. If they didn't choke on their own vomit, dehydration was a sure fire way to die.

"This is disgusting," Matt said, "We have to stop him. Nine victims in three weeks!"

Adam nodded. "He's crafty, though. If we're going to catch him on unawares, we have to do this stealthily."

As they ate, Christian returned. "She knows squat also. At this rate, the whole town'll die around our heads!" He looked at Adam. "My sandwich, please."

Adam held out the wrapped sandwich. "Oh, and I got you something special." He threw a box at Christian and Christian gasped in delight.

"Peeps! My beloved Peeps!" Matt shot Christian a look. "Hey, I love these little marshmallow duckies. Only demons from the ninth gate of hell despise Peeps. They're happiness in a box!"

"I never said I disliked them. It's the fact that you nearly pissed your pants over marshmallows."

"You have no soul," Christian declared. "So, what next?"

"We could try the hospital," Adam suggested. "Maybe the doctors found a link. But we've got to get there soon- it's getting late."

"Yeah, who knows," Christian said, "Hey, ever thought about what we'd do when we eventually have to explain this situation with Matt to others that aren't idiot playboys?"

"I prefer to live in a total state of denial," Adam said.

"Is it really so bad that I'm hunting with you?" Matt asked.

"Yes," Christian said, "Well, no, but they'll see it as bad."

"Breach of tradition and all our forefathers tried to instill in us and crap like that," Adam said.

"If I'm going to get you in trouble..." Matt started, but Christian tore off a piece of his sandwich and threw it at his head.

"We knew what we were getting into when we choice to breach tradition and all the other shit. Shut up and enjoy the sandwich."

*

Maria Kanellis tripped on her own untied shoelace, spilling the contents of her tray onto the floor. The whole hospital turned to look at the clumsy young nurse. "Sorry!" she said, picking the stuff up. They turned away, especially since they had two dead and seven dying people in the hospital.

Lilian Garcia walked over to her new nurse, head shaking. "Ria, this has been happening way too much."

"I'm so sorry!"

She sighed; Maria was so guileless, so innocent, that it was hard to tell the girl that she simply had very little future. She was kind to everyone, and everyone liked her- but she did absolutely nothing right. "Maria, people are deadly sick right now." She patted her leg, motioning for Maria to put her untied shoe on her leg, "We can't have you tripping when people are in such pain."

"I'm really sorry, I really am!" Maria begged, "I'll try harder, I promise!" She put her foot on Lilian's leg and Lilian tied the shoe. Maria was about to fall over again, so Lilian grabbed her arm and set her upright.

"Just get these tools to Dr. Cole as soon as possible," Lilian said. Maria nodded and got the tools to him, and he quickly ushered her out, afraid of another mishap that Maria had become famous for.

Maria went to the bathroom and sat on the toilet. She banged the divider and sobbed. "Why can't I do anything right?" She just cried there for a few minutes, wishing she could be more coordinated. Her best friend Candice was as graceful as they get- why couldn't she be more like her?

Maria wiped her tears and walked out of the bathroom, bumping into a blonde man. She gasped. "Sorry!" she said.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, "I bumped into you. I should be sorry." He smiled at her, and she melted a little- he had an amazing smile.

"Christian! What the hell are you doing?" Adam walked over, unable to believe Christian would choose now, of all occasions, to flirt. It wasn't like Christian was actually interested in her as a person; he just had a lot of fun seeing people swoon at him.

Christian shook his head. Stupid uptight Adam. I'm Christian. You are?"

"Maria." She smiled. "Your brother's waiting for you."

"I wish he weren't," Christian sighed, before turning around. Impulsively, Maria caught his arm and pulled out her pen, writing her number on it.

"Call me, kay?" Maria said, "There's a party tonight, and it'd be cool to see you there." Christian nodded and walked away, feeling better about himself. Take that, Adam.

*

The hospital proved to be a dead end too. They went back to the hotel, where they had two rooms. They drew lots to see who would have to share, and Matt and Christian got the short end of the stick this time.

Christian watched as Matt stretched out on the bed. He liked how Matt somehow ended up living in both worlds, rather than the world of the Hunter or the world of the Human. He sat down next to him and said, "Hey Matt."

"Huh?"

"Can we talk?"

"Sure." Matt turned to Christian. "What's up?"

Christian had no clue how to say this, so he just said it. "What's it like to be with someone?"

Matt was shocked by the question. "You never... any type of relationship..."

"No."

"Really?"

"Matt, are you rubbing it in?" Christian asked.

"No, I'm just... surprised, is all." Matt shook his head. "You look like the kind of guy who would get anyone to go to bed with him."

"Thanks," Christian said, smiling at him. "But, I have a question, does Matt have an answer?"

Matt looked up. "I was dating this girl before I was locked up in the asylum. Amy. She was fiery, she took no shit... I loved her. She was like, everything to me. She was a best friend and a lover, so, when we first kissed, and when we first had sex, it felt pretty natural. And that's how you know you've found your person- it's got to be someone that, if you weren't having sex, would be your best friend."

Christian nodded, and thought about that. It probably meant he'd never find love. The closest he had to what Matt described was Matt. And that was no help to what he was trying to do at all. "But what about sex? Just... sex?"

"I've never had 'just sex'." Matt said, shaking his head, "Christian, where is this coming from?"

"I... I've never been a normal kid," Christian said awkwardly, "I just wonder what it would be like, to worry about homework and a school crush and got to parties and have sex..."

Matt shook his head, amused. "You don't think the Nausea demon is a little more important?"

"Just one night!" Christian exclaimed. "I want to see how it's like. I want to flirt with Maria and talk about normal people things."

"Is this really what's on your mind?" Matt asked, "You've never been like this before. Neither you nor Adam have ever talked about having a life outside of hunting."

"I know!" Christian answered, a little too quickly. "Can we please go to the party?"

Matt sighed, not catching Christian's act. "Okay. But if Adam catches us, you take FULL blame."

"Agreed," Christian said. He wrapped his arms around Matt, and he felt worse and worse. _Matt doesn't know what this is really about... but he can't. Oh God, Vickie, why'd you have to warn me like that? Why couldn't you warn me before it happened?_

_*_

Matt and Christian called Maria and ended up at the party around eleven. Maria instantly found them and pulled Christian in to dance, and Matt ended up dancing with some girl named Candice. Then, Candice wanted to do a sexy dance with Maria, so Matt offered his hands to Christian and he agreed to dance with him. After they were all tired, they all got drinks and relaxed.

"Let's go," Matt said, grabbing Candice's arm. He made a motion that Candice took to mean 'let's leave the lovebirds be'. Candice nodded and they left.

Maria watched Christian and sighed. "You're not interested in me, are you?"

Christian turned to Maria. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... you're not attracted to me," Maria laughed. "I should've known. You took one look at Candice and you totally forgot I existed..."

"No, it's not that!" Christian looked down. "Maria, I... I had a lot of fun with you. And I know we just met, but I think... can I talk to you about something?"

"This better not be sex."

"Oh, it's not."

Christian took Maria outside and slowly explained his problem, leaving out the supernatural elements of it. She nodded, listening intently, as Christian spilled his secret, the one he never thought he'd have to keep secret. Things used to be simple- Christian and Adam bug each other, Christian and Adam kill demon, Christian and Adam have awkward lovey moment, cycle repeats. Then Matt and all his baggage landed on their laps, and everything turned upside down for Christian.

"I think you need to tell him," Maria said, "The both of them. You have to tell your brother and your friend the truth... or you won't be able to do your jobs."

Christian nodded and looked at Maria. "I don't know how," he admitted, "How... how do I even begin to explain this to them?"

"Just tell them what you told me, and everything will be al- What's that smell?" Maria covered her nose, and Christian did too, the smeel of rank, rotting eggs filling his nose. Then, the next thing he knew, Maria screamed, and he was yanked off his feet.

*

Maria's scream reached Matt and he ran outside, scared as hell. The party stopped, confused, and Matt pushed them down easily. Matt opened the door and barely missed a staff whipping at him.

A demon with a red and black face stood there, smiling jolly like. Matt rolled out of the way before the next blow could hit him. He felt around, and found a fallen branch, which he raised to stop the staff from hitting him.

A strong waif of rotten eggs filled Matt's nose, but he fought the smell as he exchanged blows with the demon. Matt remembered his training, about everyone having a weak spot. He soon noticed that this man had the same problem as Adam- he lunged too far. Matt took advantage of that and stepped out of the way. He misstepped and, while he tried to get his balance, Matt pulled out his gun.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," the demon finally hissed.

"Why not?" Matt growled.

"Because your friend might be choking on his own vomit right now." Matt instantly forgot the Nausea Demon and ran around, looking for Christian. The demon laughed and disappeared, happy he got the upper hand on the Nightstalkers.

Matt ran until he found Maria and Christian, who were both vomiting. "Christian," Matt gasped. He ran over to Christian and hit his back, trying to help him get it out. Christian spewed chunks everywhere, and Matt started screaming for help.

"Mah... Mah.. Matt..." Christian said, eyes rolling aimlessly, "You have to know... if I die..."

"Shut up Christian," Matt said frantically, slapping his back, "Somebody help me!"

"Mah... I... I..." Vomit silenced whatever he was going to say.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	9. Happy Birthday

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews, all. I love them. And I love the speculation! Keep speculating!**

**When we last left off, Christian became a victim of the Nausea demon's curse. Now, Adam and Matt have to kill the demon before Christian dies...  
**

**Chapter Nine: Happy Birthday**

Matt opened his eyes slowly and found himself laying in the grass again, which only meant one thing. "Jeff?" he called out.

Soon enough, his brother's bright face appeared above him. "You rang, Mattie?"

Matt sat up and shook his head. "Shit, now's not a good time to fall asleep."

"I know." Jeff looked down. "I'm sorry about what happened to Christian." Jeff wrapped his arms around his brother.

"How was I supposed to know that killing the demon would free Christian from the curse?" Matt asked.

"You couldn't."

"Why isn't Adam angry with me?"

"Because he loves you like he loves Christian," Jeff said, "You've become a family to them too, Mattie."

"I thought he would be angrier, you know?" Matt said. Adam just appeared in the hospital they took Matt, Christian, and Maria to, and he kissed Christian's forehead and wrapped his arms around Matt.

"We're going to get that fucker, you hear?" Adam said. Matt nodded and let Adam hold him as they watched Christian. They shoved a tube down his throat to vacuum the vomit, so there'd be little chance of him choking on it. They were pumping fluids into him to keep him hydrated. Matt shook his head- this isn't how Christian's supposed to look.

"You keep misjudging Adam," Jeff said, "He cares about you two a lot." Jeff grabbed Matt's arm and pulled him through the meadow until they eventually got to a river. Thousands of tiny little boats were floating on the surface. "You know what this is," Jeff said, "You were always the smart one."

"It's memorial boats," Matt said, "Meant to honor the dead and give them safe passage to the next life."

Jeff nodded. "There are too many on this river, Mattie. This isn't the way life should be. For each birth, a death. But there are more people dying than there are people being born."

"Why are they suddenly attacking us?" Matt asked, "Why are they suddenly coming after us?"

Jeff looked at his brother. "You know, Matt."

"No, I don't."

"They're attacking harder because Mark knows, the more time you spend with Adam and Christian, the more likely you are to choose the light. And he doesn't want you to do that." Jeff kissed his cheek. "Why is the darkness here, Mattie?"

"What kind of question is that?" Matt asked, "And what do you mean, choose the light?"

Jeff laughed. "You're going to have to choose soon, Matt. And-" He poked Matt's chest, right above his heart. "That's going to try to limit your choice. Just remember- why does the darkness exist?"

"Is this a riddle?" Matt asked.

"No. It's really a question." Jeff said.

"Well, I don't know. I give up. Why?"

"It's the dark that makes the light seem brighter." Jeff sat on the ground. "When you faced that guy in the future, you were saved by memories you would've found trivial before... but because so much shit has happened, they're suddenly beautiful... stuff you want to hold onto. Matt, don't be afraid of the darkness. Just remember- your light shines more brightly there."

Matt sat on the ground next to him. "I wish you could come back to me for more than just a dream at a time."

Jeff nodded. "I do too, Mattie. But don't worry- those who really matter never leave you."

"Jeff, please. For once, give me straight answers. Why does he want me? What does Mark think I can do that's so special?"

Jeff shook his head. "You already know, deep down. Just look for it."

"Jeff, that's not good enough! Just tell me! Just..."

Matt opened his eyes and heard sobbing in the hospital room. Candice was sitting over Maria, crying and begging her not to die. Matt knew the feeling- seeing Christian on that bed, and being powerless to do anything about it, ate him up inside. Adam was still asleep, but it looked like he barely fell into a decent sleep. His cheeks were a little wet, and Matt knew Adam cried.

He looked away- Adam was not supposed to cry. Christian was not supposed to be on his way out. Matt walked over and grabbed Christian's hand. "I will find a way to save you," he whispered. "Promise."

He suddenly remembered Mickie's potions and ran outside to the car. Maybe she gave him something that could heal Christian and the other victims. He went to the trunk and delved through the bag. There were six bottles in all, and, besides the three Mickie already explained, there was one to restore energy, one to protect the drinker, and one to make a link between two drinkers. Matt threw the bag back in the trunk in exasperation. How could any of those help out Christian?

The bag hit another one, and a purple package tumbled out. Matt looked at it, surprised, and he picked it up. It wasn't too big- it was about the size of a small book. There was an envelope attached, and Matt picked it up- and was shocked to see his own name blazoned across the front. In Christian's handwriting.

Matt opened the envelope and pulled out a card. It had a picture of Snoopy laying down on his doghouse with Woodstock on his chest. Matt opened it and read:

Happy birthday, Matt!

You're finally in the second decade of your life. Maybe Adam and I should stop treating you like a child and make you cook for us. Just kidding, I would never let you subject us to your crappy cooking.

This past year with you has been one of the best of our life. I'm not joking, Matt- you really changed our lives. You really changed my life. You've been the greatest friend I could ask for, the best third member, and, most importantly, the funnest person to poke fun at Addy-dick with. This is just a little something I thought you would appreciate. When we get some down time, I swear, we'll watch it. Here's to a great year, and the promise of many more!

Christian

Matt put a hand over his mouth. It couldn't be... but it was. It was September 23rd. Somehow, unexpectedly, his birthday had jumped out at him. How could he forget his own birthday? He was 20 now... he couldn't believe it. He forgot, but Christian didn't. Christian remembered.

Matt slowly unwrapped the package, and inside it was the original Evil Dead, before all the box sets and digital remastering. He remembered once telling Christian he liked Evil Dead, and he liked watching grainy 80's movies... but it was once, while Christian was trying to get Matt to think of something other than the alcohol on his back after a particularly brutal training session. And Christian remembered.

Matt ran back into the hospital room, ignoring the yelling nurse, and immediately went to Christian's bedside. "You..." Matt said. He sunk to his knees and watched as the vacuum thing caught more vomit. "Thank you," Matt whispered.

"Matt?" Matt turned around and saw Adam looking at him. "Matt, are you okay?"

Matt shook his head. "Christian remembered my birthday," Matt whispered.

"Well, so did I." Matt turned around and looked at Adam. "I know, it's tough, Christian being sick on your birthday, but he'd want you to be happy. Smile for him."

Matt put on the best smile he could. "We have to find the monster before it's too late."

"I know. I'll give you your gift later; right now, we focus on Chr-" Christian's head slowly shook. "What is it?" Adam said, looking at him. Christian's eyes opened and he pointed at Matt. Then, he pointed at Adam, and then at Matt again.

"I think he wants you to give me my present now," Matt said. Christian nodded, and then he drew a circle with his hands and pointed at Matt again.

"Any idea what that means?" Adam asked.

Christian rolled his eyes and pointed at Matt again, then at Adam, and then he rubbed his fingers together, and then he drew a circle again. "He wants you to buy a cake," Matt said. Christian nodded, and then he pointed at himself. "He also wants us to cut him a slice."

"What does he need a slice for?" Adam asked, "He can't eat!" Christian glared at Adam, which they both knew to mean 'cut me one anyway, Addy-dick.' Adam laughed and said, "I'd do anything to hear you call me that stupid name again."

Christian sent a glance at Matt, and Matt started chanting, "Addy-dick Addy-dick Addy-dick..."

"Shut up, Matt."

*

Matt and Adam went out to buy a small cake and some plates. As they carried them to the room, a little girl ran out and tugged Matt's shirt. "Mister?"

Matt turned around and said, "Yes?"

She looked at him seriously. "Are you here to kill the Boogeyman?"

"The Boogeyman?" Matt asked. The head nurse, Lilian, ran out of a room and grabbed the little girl.

"Sorry sir. But Nora here's been asking everyone that." She turned to the little girl. "Stop worrying your mommy!"

Nora kept her eyes on Matt. "The Boogeyman made my brother Nick sick. I saw him. He was ugly and he put something in Nicky's mouth to make him throw up! Pleh!" She pantomimed throwing up, and Lilian shook her head.

"Don't worry ma'am, it's okay," Matt said.

"Nick Nemeth was the first to start throwing up," Lilian said, "Poor Nora's had to deal with his sickness for a while now. We don't know what to do for him or the others anymore."

"You have to kill the Boogeyman!" Nora exclaimed, "It's the only way to save everyone!"

Matt giggled and bent down to her ear. "Wanna hear a secret? I'm here to do just that."

"Really?" Nora exclaimed. Matt nodded and she kissed him on the forehead. "Please do it soon. Nicky doesn't have a lot of time."

Matt nodded and Lilian carried Nora Nemeth away. Matt nodded. He was going to kill the demon... heck, the Boogeyman. He just needed to find him.

*

They cut a piece of cake for Christian and left it on his bedside while they ate their slices of cake. Christian made Adam sing happy birthday for Matt by pinching him repeatedly until he began singing. Matt smiled- if he closed his eyes, this was almost normal.

Adam's gift was a silver chain with a small mirror-like crystal at the end. Apparently, silver has protective qualities, and mirrors had a lot to do with souls and stuff. Matt took it happily and made fun of how gushy Adam was getting twice as much, since Christian couldn't make fun of him himself.

Adam told Matt to stay with Christian while he tried to track down the Nausea Demon. When Adam was gone, Matt got closer to Christian. "That was the most thoughtful gift I've ever gotten."

Christian's lips looked like they were trying to smile, but the tube made it impossible. Matt laughed and rubbed his forehead. "Things are going to be alright, okay?"

Christian then threw up, so Matt had to wait for the vacuum to catch all the vomit to see him nod. Christian pointed at a pencil on the desk, and Matt took it and a paper and handed them to Christian.

You and Adam can fix this. I'm sure of it.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Matt said, "I love how you're so sure, when I'm not even sure."

Just shut up Matt. You can do it. I know you can. You can do anything you set your mind to.

"Even fly?" Matt joked.

Yes, even fly.

Matt laughed, and he was sure Christian would have laughed too. "You had something you wanted to tell me?" Matt asked.

I'm not going to write it down, Matt. I have to tell you.

" You sure?" Matt asked.

Positive. Now, do me a favor and put on the TV. I might be dying, but I'm not dead yet.

"Thanks again," Matt said.

Don't mention it. It looks like it could be fun to watch.

"It's awesome," Matt vowed. Christian nodded and wrote something on the piece of paper.

I like this. You, me, talking about something stupid. We should do this more often. Maybe when I can talk and I don't need to write it out on a damned piece of paper.

"That's a promise," Matt said. Christian drew a smiley face on the paper, and they laughed.

*

Adam came back with no results. Currently, Matt and Christian were playing tic tac toe, but, since Christian's puking hit him at random moments, the one game had become a half an hour long. Adam took over, earning him a glare from Christian, and somehow they got into a tic tac toe tournament.

"Why are we idiots?" Matt asked.

"We're not idiots," Adam said, "Well... I'm not."

Christian snatched the paper and wrote: You're the king of the short bus, my 'Special little boy'.

They laughed when, suddenly, the lights went out. Matt and Adam stood up. "You've got weapons on you?" Adam asked.

"My gun and my knife. You?"

"Same. Nothing too fancy." Adam looked out the door. "I think he's here for us, Matt. If killing Nightstalkers is on the menu, then we're up."

"Let's find this bastard," Matt said. Christian watched Matt and Adam leave, and he wished he could go with them. He just laid back. If the Nausea Demon hurt them, he didn't care if he was throwing up- he'd find a way to kill him.

*

He watched the boys move from the shadows. Even though there were plenty of panicking people in the hall, he only had eyes for the two little Nightstalkers. He licked his lips, watching the blond one- he wanted to kill him slowly, milk all the terror he could from him. The brunette was off limits- he was ordered just to make sure he made his way to the roof, and then he could have both the blondes, the one he already cursed and the long haired one.

He let out a stench, hoping the trail would lead the pretty boys to the roof. And sure enough, they began to make their way up.

His Master would be so pleased.

*

Matt never thought he'd spend his twentieth birthday chasing the Boogeyman, but hey, life was twisted like that. Matt and Adam carefully hid their guns as they walked up the stairs and made their way to the roof, where the stomach-churning stench was getting stronger and stronger.

Matt opened the door and looked around, but saw no one. Adam followed him outside and they looked for the Nausea Demon.

The door slammed and they turned around. "Surprise," he said. Adam and Matt immediately lifted up their guns, but the stench became over powering, and they were forced to their knees.

"Look at the pretty little Nightstalkers," the Boogeyman cooed, "Barely old enough to stand on their own feet." Matt's nostrils were burning, so he dug in his pockets until he found something he thought he could use- a Kleenex. He ripped the tissue into two pieces and stuck them both up his nose.

The Boogeyman laughed as Matt stood up. "Silly but effective. You I like." He jabbed his spear at Matt, but Matt quickly dodged. He raised his gun and fired a shot at him, but it missed.

Adam watched as Matt tried to make a move on the Nausea Demon and began looking for something to clog his nose with also. Unable to do much, all Matt did was dodge each lunge he sent at him.

Matt found himself at the edge of the building and the Boogeyman smiled, revealing a set of revolting teeth. He extended his spear and caught Matt by the collar and dragged him over. He ran a finger down Matt's cheek. "I can see why you're Master's favorite," he hissed, "Such a precious little one."

Disgusted, Matt thought about what he did to Christian. All he could think about was Christian vomiting, and he screamed, "Get off!" And, just like the candle before it, the Boogeyman's spear, right where he was gripping it, burst into flames. He screamed and dropped the spear, giving Matt a chance to bring up his gun.

The Boogeyman grabbed Matt's ankle and yanked him down, making him fall flat. Matt groaned as his gun flew in the air and fell off the side of the building. "It's a shame, isn't it?" The Boogeyman taunted him, "When you fight so hard just for the plan to fall to shambles?"

Matt began to crawl out of the corner and he stood up. He held out his knife, and the Boogeyman laughed. "That's not going to harm me, little one. But fight if you must."

His eyes widened as Adam raised his gun to his head. In the fastest moment of Matt's life, Adam fired the gun at the same time as the Boogeyman thrust the spear at Adam. Matt pushed Adam, making the shot miss it's mark by a few centimeters and the spear take a chunk out of his side.

Matt fell to the ground in pain. There was a white flash in his head, and he felt like every single inch of flesh on his body was bitten. He screamed in agony, and the Boogeyman looked down at him in fear. "No... Master will kill me..."

"Don't worry about your master." Adam, taking advantage of the Boogeyman's attention fully on Matt's writhing form, lifted his gun and shot into the Boogeyman's head. His eyes rolled back and he fell down. As soon as he hit the ground, worms crawled out of his mouth. The demon was dead.

Adam rushed to Matt and looked at the wound. It was bad. He looked at the tip of the spear, and he shook his head. It was dipped in poison. "Matt, this'll tickle a little, but trust me," Adam whispered. He had to get the poison out fast.

He put his lips on Matt's wound and began sucking it, trying to get the poison. Matt screamed, and Adam thought he might be too late, that it spread too far, but then he got it. He spit it out of his mouth and immediately took off his jacket, making it into a ball.

"You have to put pressure on it, okay?" Adam said. Matt nodded.

"It hurts, Addy..."

"I know. Put pressure on the wound." Adam pushed his jacket into Matt's side, and then Matt put his hand on it. Adam was about to pick Matt up and bring him downstairs when the sound of clapping filled his ears.

"Congratulations." Adam and Matt looked up, and there stood Mark, smiling broadly. "That was a fantastic fight. You've come a long way, Matt."

Adam stood up and pointed his gun at the Demon Master. "Don't come any closer."

Mark shook his head, lifted his hand, and the gun flew out of Adam's hand. It skid off the roof and he said, "Come again?"

Adam didn't know what to do then, but Mark did. In a quick flash, he moved from where he was to right in front of Adam. "Helmsley and Michaels would be ashamed of you." He lifted Adam up by his hair, and Adam screamed in pain. "Such frail creatures, humans. And they think they can hurt me."

"Stop!" Mark looked down and saw Matt there, looking at him angrily. "Let him go."

Mark's smile became a smirk, and he said, "Sure. You are entitled to a birthday wish, I guess." He threw Adam into the doorway out of the roof. Adam hit the door with a thud and slumped down like a rag doll.

Mark bent down and moved Matt's hands away from his wound. "If Adam's dead, I'll kill you," Matt swore.

"Very convincing. I'd believe you if you weren't dying." Mark ripped off the part of Matt's shirt that covered the wound and bent down. He put his mouth on Matt's wound, much like Adam did earlier, but this was different, more sinister. As Mark drank his blood, Matt began to hear voices.

_"You hurt him and you die!"_

_"Relax woman; I'm not going to hurt him. And your taunts have no effect on me." There was a silence. "Hello, sweet boy." __There was a gargling noise, like a baby. "You fed him yet, bitch?"_

_"That's none of your business!"_

_"Woman, I have no further need for you, so you best not get on my bad side. Did you feed him yet?"_

_"No."_

_"Good. I've got something better for him than mother's milk."_

Mark moved his mouth, and the pain instantly drained from Matt's body. The wound was gone. Mark grabbed Matt's arm and hauled him to his feet and began pulling him to the side of the building. "Look, Matt." Matt gasped as buildings suddenly caught on fire. "The little sparks you've made are nothing compared to the infernos you will soon create. Twenty buildings ablaze... did you know the humans got their birthday candle idea from demonkind?"

Matt tried to pull away, freaked out, but Mark held firmly. "Happy birthday, Matthew." And he started laughing as Matt helplessly watched buildings that might have innocent people in them burn.

*

The woman at the receptionist's desk watched as a big, bald, biker like man walked into the hospital. "What's with the blackout?" He asked gruffly.

"The power should be back on in a minute. Can I help you?"

"No. I'm here to help you." And he ran upstairs, hoping it wasn't too late to stop Mark from destroying this town. 

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	10. Identity Crisis

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews, all. I love them. And I love the speculation! Keep speculating! This chapter's dedicated to Redsandman99, because each review she leaves makes me wish I wrote a longer chapter.  
**

**When we last left off, bad things were happening...**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Ten: Identity Crisis  
**

"Can you believe it?" Shane asked his friends, "Julie said she saw Matt yesterday. They keep driving him from the Sheriff's house to the police station and back."

"Why the fuck are they holding him?" Shannon asked, "They can't think he hurt Gil and Jeff, can they?"

"They can think whatever they want," Marty said, "They're the police."

"But come on! It's been a week since they took Matt," Shane said, "Why aren't they any fucking closer to letting him go?"

"Boys!" They looked up and saw Shannon's father at the door. "Don't bring those fucking potty mouths into my house."

"Dad, you just fucking cursed," Shannon said.

"Boy, you are sixteen fucking years old and you don't pay the god damn bills. You will watch your fucking mouth." He snapped.

"Fucking hypocrite," Shannon muttered.

"Shannon Brian Moore, this is the last fucking warning I'll give you," Mr. Moore said. "Shane, you're the eldest here! Exercise some control!"

Shane, nineteen like Matt, was never much of a leader. He was content with letting Matt run their little group. Shannon was funny, Jeff was artsy, Marty was the kind one, and Shane didn't care for a label. All he cared about was that he was blessed to have such good friends, even if Shannon and Jeff were younger than them.

And he lost them. Matt was being treated like a criminal, and Jeff... he didn't even want to think about poor Jeff. Everyone was freaking out; no one knew what to think. Who would do this to such a kind family?

Shannon started the 'Free Matt Hardy' protest, where a bunch of people stood in front of the station and demanded he be released. Then, a big, scary, bald man in a suit told them that if they kept doing this, they'd be obstructing justice and he'd have them arrested.

Of course, Shannon did not expect that man to come to his house. There was a knock, and Mr. Moore answered the door. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Agent Williams, and I'm here to talk to you about Gilbert Hardy." Shannon, Shane, and Marty all rushed to the kitchen, where Agent Williams and Mr. Moore were sitting.

"We don't know what to think, sir," Mr. Moore said, "Gil was a good friend of mine. My boy and his Jeffrey were thick as thieves, skipping school and hanging out. Matt and Jeff were like sons to me."

"I just have a few questions," Agent Williams said.

"If this is about Matt having troubles adjusting after the tragedy, we'll put him up here," Mr. Moore offered, "He practically lived here anyway."

"I doubt Matthew's in any condition to rejoin the world," Agent Williams said, but Shane heard a bit of acting in his voice. As the least talkative, he caught things like that. "No, this is about Gilbert... and his wife, Ruby. Now, she first showed signs of brain cancer twenty years ago, correct?"

"Yes, but... I don't understand. How does this help with Gil's investigation?"

"Wasn't she dying?" Agent Williams prodded.

"Well, yeah... Gil was heartbroken. He tried all the doctors he could, but none could help. He was getting more and more hopeless. And then, one day, he comes to me and says, ''Ruby's not going to die'. I don't understand what he means, but he said he found someone who could help her... a doctor, I guess. And sure enough, Ruby got better, and they had Matt about a year later, and then three years later, they had Jeff. Ruby died when Matt was twelve and Jeff was nine."

"Thirteen years later," Agent Williams said. Shane wondered why that was important to him.

"Yup."

"Did Gilbert ever tell you the name of the doctor who helped Ruby?" Agent Williams asked.

"No... do you think he owed someone money because of that?" Mr. Moore asked.

"Maybe. I'm investigating all avenues," Agent Williams said.

"Gil might've had money problems, but he managed," Mr. Moore said, "Tell me... will... will Matt get out in time for the funeral?"

Agent Williams looked down. "His fate is out of my hands. Before I came, it was already decided... they're sending him to Hellespont."

"No!" Agent Williams and Mr. Moore turned around as Shannon shouted out, alarming Marty and Shane.

"Boys!" Mr. Moore chastised, "How dare you eavesdrop?"

"Mr FBI Agent guy, you can't send Matt to an asylum!" Shannon said, "If Matt said he saw something, he saw something. He's not crazy."

"I never said he was, kid," Agent Williams said gently.

"Then why are you sending him? Come on... we lost Gil and Jeff. Don't take Matt from us too."

"I wish it was in my control," Agent Williams said. He walked over and said, "Matt will return... eventually. Just wait for him."

"You're a monster," Shannon said, before running off. Marty ran after him and Shane looked up at Agent Williams.

"Is there nothing you could do?" Shane asked.

"I wish there was, kid." Agent Williams said goodbye, and he walked out.  


* * *

  
Matt watched the fires, almost entranced by their haunting, evil, cruel beauty. He turned to Mark. "Put them out."

"Not my job." Mark grinned at him. "I light the candles, Matt... you blow them out."

"I can't!" Matt didn't even understand how he made the fires he made appear in the first place. "Put them out! People... people in those buildings..."

"I'm the Demon Master, Matt. Why should I care about them?" Mark pulled his arm as he pointed around. "All of this? It's mine to use as I wish. If I wanted to, I could go down to your friend with the tube down his throat and turn him inside out. We'll see if he can attract girls like that."

"You won't," Matt said.

"And why is that?" Mark asked.

"Because I'm here. I'm the reason you're here." Matt said.

"That's right."

"You going to kill me, like you killed... like my brother?" Matt asked.

Mark laughed. "Raven killed little Jeffrey, not me. And you know better than that. I'm not going to kill you."

"Then what do you want from me?" Matt asked. He looked at Adam's body, and Adam stirred a little. A small flash of relief filled him; that meant Adam was alive.

Mark looked at him. "You still don't know? You can't sense what you are, deep inside?"

"I'm a Nightstalker," Matt hissed.

"Sure." Mark pulled Matt closer and grabbed his arm. He ripped the sleeve off his shirt, revealing his tattoo. "You know, it's a very easy thing, making something so pure into something ugly and tainted. It's harder to make something pure again. But what if you were never pure, Matt?"

"You're games won't work on me," Matt said.

"They won't?" Matt's eyes widened as he felt himself grow heavier. It was as if his body increased in mass to the point where he couldn't move. "It's alright, Matt. It's only temporary paralysis. I just don't want you doing something stupid while I bring you back to my world." Mark snickered. "It's your world too, Matthew."

He picked up Matt's motionless body. Matt began panicking inside, unable to fight or do anything. The monster that broke into his house and ruined his life was now holding him, taking him to... to the fucking demon world. Was this what Vickie meant, when she said that Matt would soon be at his mercy?

Suddenly, the door burst open. Mark, surprised, dropped Matt, but he was caught before he fell. Mark put him down as someone else from Matt's past whom he never wanted to see again came in. I fucking hate my life, Matt thought glumly.

"Well, I thought I smelled demon shit." Obviously, Agent Williams wasn't his real name. Matt doubted he was ever an Agent now. He walked out holding a shot gun in his face.

"Austen," he hissed.

"Mark, now, didn't your mother ever teach you playing with your food is a bad habit?" The man, apparently named Austen, said. He looked down and saw who was on the floor. "Matt Hardy?" Matt would roll his eyes, if he could move. "I left you at Hellespont..."

"They broke him out," Mark said, "They made him their third. Isn't that laughable, Austen? Mysterious Matt, the one you've been trying to understand for the past year, is now a Nightstalker." Matt looked at Austen- he was trying to understand him? What did that mean?

"You're going to back the fuck away and leave the kid alone," Austen demanded.

"Kid?" Mark laughed, "Matt's anything but a child." Mark stepped forward again. "I would've thought someone with your experience would know that a shot gun would have little effect on me."

Adam was completely up now and he saw Matt on the floor, near Mark's feet. He crawled over, trying not to call attention to himself, and patted his face. "Come on, Mattie. We've got to move," he whispered.

"I know. This shotgun's not your average shotgun, though." Austen let out a round, and the bullet tore through Mark's chest. The sharp sound of searing flesh filled the air, but Mark showed very little weakness, just wincing a little. "Hurts like a motherfucker, doesn't it?"

Mark looked at Adam holding Matt protectively, and knew he couldn't risk a big fight happening up here; not until Matt fully realized and accepted who he was. "I got what I wanted anyway." He looked into Matt's eyes, and Matt heard the next thing in his mind.

"You can fight me all you want, but you won't succeed. This has been your fate since before you existed."

Mark turned to Austen. "One day, I shall rip you to shreds."

"Do it now, you yellow-bellied bitch!" Austen bellowed, "Come on, pussy! Fight me!"

"I'm not one who'll be goaded." Mark looked at Matt again, giving him a 'This isn't over' look. Then, he disappeared, the fires disappearing with him. It was as if the room became too cold to sustain flame.

Austen walked over to Adam and Matt. "Steve," Adam said, "What're you doing here?"

Austen crossed his arms. "That's all you have to say, you little shit? How about a hello?"

"I'm sorry, Matt's paralyzed. We can dispense pleasantries on a later date."

Austen chuckled. "That's the Adam I've come to want to kick in the pants. And.... he's the reason you were gone for so long."

Adam nodded. "What're you going to do about it?"

"Nothing. I'm not your fucking mother." Steve picked up Matt quite easily. If Matt could move, he'd beat the bastard up. "He just needs to sleep this off."

"You're not mad that Christian and I broke tradition?"

"Fuck tradition. I don't give a damn. That's not saying Rapunzel and the Woodpecker'll feel the same, but you don't have to worry about me freaking out on you. Where's Christian?"

Matt remembered their friend, stuck with a tube down his throat, and wished they could get it out and Christian can go back to being Christian. "He's downstairs, in a hospital room," Adam said, "Let's go get them."

As they walked, Steve looked down at Matt. "I know what you're thinking, Kid. This is the bastard from before. But believe me, I couldn't stop the wheels from turning. You were already on your way to the looney bin. If I got there sooner, I would've told you to shut your clamp trap and pretend you saw nothing. I thought, if you thought you were insane, you'd eventually heal."

'That makes A LOT of sense, asshole' Matt thought. Steve then said, "You're a tough son of a bitch, and I didn't count on that. If I had, I would've never thought that stupid asylum would do anything for you. I'm not going to fucking apologize, if that's what you want, because then you'd never be here."

Matt knew that was true, but that didn't change the fact that he hated the two months in that damn asylum. Two months of trying to convince himself he wasn't crazy, no matter what everyone said.

They went to the room and there, sitting on the bed, was Christian, eating the cake they cut him. "Hey Addy-dick, you saved me! Where's Mah-" He trailed off as he saw Matt in Steve's arms. "Matt!" Christian dropped the cake and ran over to Matt. "Is he okay? What happened?"

"He's just paralyzed, Christian," Adam said.

"Why, hello, Steve, long time no fucking see," Steve said. Christian looked up and crossed his arms.

"Teammates first, loudmouth Texans second," he shot.  


* * *

  
Matt woke up with his head in Christian's lap. Christian was absentmindedly playing with Matt's hair, looking ahead at the road. Matt realized that they were in the car, and that they must have left. He thought about Candice and Maria and everyone else they met there, and wondered if they said goodbye.

No wonder Christian's never been in a relationship.

"So," Adam said, while driving, "You've been trying to learn about Matt?" Upon hearing his name, Matt closed his eyes, thinking that they'd stop talking if they knew he was awake.

"About him, his family, anything that could tell me why Mark targeted them." Steve twirled a knife in his hand. "Matt's paying for the sins of his parents, it seems."

"What does that mean?" Christian asked.

"His mother was going to die a year before his birth," Steve explained, "No one could help her... but Gil found someone. And her death prolonged itself for thirteen years."

"Thirteen? You mean..." Adam shook his head. "You can't be serious."

"I'm always dead fucking serious, Adam. There's no room for joking at a time like this." Steve shook his head. "They made a deal with Mark so that she could have more time. Thirteen years exactly; that's how long Mark could delay the inevitable. Her death."

"What did they give Mark in return?" Christian asked.

"That's the problem," Adam said, "They didn't give him what he wanted, did he?"

Steve nodded. "That's what I'm thinking. I think... I think Matt's parents promised Mark Matt himself."

There was a silence. "What, now this is Rumpelstiltskin?" Christian finally said, "They didn't promise Matt to Mark!"

"They probably did."

"That makes no sense!" Christian argued, "He... he told me about his parents. They loved him!"

"If I remember correctly, in Rumpelstiltskin, the parents tried to back out last minute too," Steve countered.

"But... come on! Why would Mark want Matt in the first place?"

"Well, my mind immediately jumped to one conclusion," Steve said, "Mark came to little Ruby on the eighth month mark. Matt's a demon." Matt thought about that for a second, and realized it made horrible sense. The man in the future would've been right- Adam and Christian would kill him for the good of humanity.

"He's not," Adam said.

"He is," Steve said.

"He can't be," Christian said, "He's a great guy..."

"You of all people know that, before the nature kicks in, they could be Mother Teresa," Steve said.

"And he's got the triquetra on his arm!" Christian said triumphantly, "There! If he was a demon, he couldn't have a mark that means so many good things on his arm."

Steve turned around. "You two inked him?"

"That's right," Christian said, "If he were a demon, the skin would've bubbled, even IF the nature hadn't taken him over." Matt felt a little relief, but not a lot- that meant he still didn't know what he was.

"And the bastard finally listens to me," Adam said. Christian shot him a look.

Steve turned his eyes to Matt. "Well, there is one other possibility, but... it's impossible. No, no it can't be."

"What is it?" Adam asked.

"Well... no, it's ridiculous. The triquetra would still burn him, I think..." Steve shook his head. "Even entertaining the possibility would give Matt nightmares. And big mouth over there's sure to tell him."

"If I were Matt and Matt were me, I'd want him to tell me anything he could about what I am." Christian's hands became gentle against Matt's head, and it felt kind of nice. "I'm surprised he doesn't have nightmares already."

"He's a fighter," Adam said.

"Yeah, well, he'll need to be a fighter. Mark's not done with him... not by a long shot." The rest of the ride was in complete silence. They pulled over at a gas station and Steve and Adam left the car, Steve after food and Adam to fill the tank, leaving Matt and Christian alone.

"Christian?" Matt whispered. Christian looked down and stopped running his hands through Matt's hair.

"Feeling better, buddy?"

Matt nodded. "Christian, I have a question."

"I have an answer," Christian said.

"If I were a demon..."

"You heard us?" Christian asked, looking upset, "Why didn't you tell us you were awake?"

"You would've stopped talking," Matt said softly.

"You've got a point. But you're not a demon, Matt. The tattoo proves it," Christian said.

"Let's say, for argument's sake, I was. Would you kill me?" Matt asked.

Christian stared at him. "You can't ask me to answer that question!"

"I am," Matt said, "If I was, would you kill me?"

Christian looked away. "You mean a lot to me, Matt. I..."

"Promise me," Matt said, "Christian, I need you to promise me. If the reason Mark wants me is because I will do something evil in the future, you have to stop me before that happens. You have to kill me."

"Matt..."

"Promise me," Matt whispered.

Christian locked eyes with him. "I won't. Because I don't have to. You are one of the best people I know. You are not a demon, and I would stake my life on that. So, if you want to commit suicide, grow a pair and do it yourself. I refuse to kill you."

"Even if my death meant the world's salvation?" Matt asked, "That's pretty selfish of you."

"Well, then, I'm selfish." Christian snapped. Matt sat up and shook his head.

"Christian, I really need you to promise me that," Matt said, "I've seen too much... I don't want it to have been my fault, the future I saw."

"It won't be. We'll stop it." Christian reached out and grabbed Matt's hand. "Do you trust me?"

"Yeah," Matt said, kind of thrown off by how Christian was staring at him.

"Then, when I say you won't do anything to condemn the world, trust me. Believe me. Believe in yourself."

Matt pulled his hand away. "Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked.

"Because it's kind of sad, the way you don't see how great you are," Christian said. "I see it all the time."

The car door opened, and Austen through in a plastic bag filled with various junk and beers. "Bon appetit," Austen said. Matt didn't know what to say next, and neither did Christian, so they welcomed the intrusion.

* * *

"So, no Hardy boy?" Raven asked. Mark looked at the Nightmare demon as he entered his chamber again with a smirk.

"It's only a matter of time. But thank goodness you're here. I have a mission for you." Raven looked at him.

"I'm interested. What is it?"

Mark just smiled cruelly.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	11. All Nightmare Long

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews, all. I love them. And I love the speculation! Keep speculating! This chapter's dedicated to Terrahfry; she also makes me wish I wrote a longer chapter each time, and she understands my InnerChristian very well.**

**When we last left off, our heroes escaped Mark's clutches, but Matt was left wondering who- and what- he was. And Mark has plans for our Hardy boy...  
**

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* * *

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**Chapter Eleven: All Nightmare Long  
**

Matt fell asleep, but it wasn't very comfortable. He didn't sleep that soundly, so he was woken up every time the two people in the front (which was now Christian and Steve) would burp. Or fart. Or laugh. Adam eventually sat up, pointed his gun at them, and threatened to kill them if they couldn't get some sleep.

To which Steve laughed and threw a beer can at his head.

Matt didn't know what to think. Apparently, he wasn't a demon. But the news wasn't as relieving as Matt thought it would be. That meant he still didn't know what he was. And it was eating up at him.

Mark didn't want to kill him. But what conclusion could Matt make with that? Maybe Mark thought he could use Matt somehow to take over the world. But why him? Why does he have these abilities... like the fire? And he somehow squeezed out the window the night his family died... And what kind of deal did his parents make to save his mom?

When Matt thought about it, he didn't blame Gil for any deal he made to save Ruby... his mother was his father's world. And, if they didn't make the deal, he and Jeff wouldn't have been born. But what did Matt have to give- besides the lives of his brother and father- to make the deal right?

Adam had a bump on his head from last night... but it could've been a lot worse. Adam was at Mark's mercy, and anything could've happened to him. If Mark felt like ignoring Matt, he could've thrown him off the hospital or worse. And Christian was infected by the Boogeyman- he could've died. And Matt knew this increase in death toll was because Mark wanted to prove a point- that he could destroy Matt's new family at any time.

Adam kicked him softly. "What's on your mind?"

Matt shook his head. "Nothing."

"You know, I'm here for you too. You don't only have to confide in Christian," he said. Adam looked at him. "And don't worry. You're not a demon. The mark proves it."

"How?"

"Dunno why, but demon skin will burn it off. It happened to one hunter that I know of."

"Who?"

"Scott Levy," Steve yelled back, "Raven."

"Raven was a hunter?" Matt asked. He remembered Raven, and how sadistic he was, and couldn't imagine him doing anything nice. Like killing demons to save innocents.

"Yup," Adam said, "He usually hung around... what did that group of Nightstalkers call themselves?"

"The ECW Originals," Steve said.

"What did ECW stand for anyway?" Christian asked.

"Hell if I know," Steve shrugged.

"Anyway, this guy and Steve Richards were trained together, alongside Tommy and Jim and Rob and Terry. These guys were three separate groups, but they teamed up a lot. So they all go to get inked, and, suddenly, Scott's skin burned where the tattoo was. He ran away, refusing to believe it was true, and his pals all went looking for him. When they found him, the bastard already accepted what he was. He killed Steve and the others barely survived."

"How'd they survive?" Christian said, engrossed in the story.

"Eyes on the road, blondie!" Steve barked. "They survived because Rob's one of the greatest hunters of our time. If he hadn't stabbed himself with his own knife, they would've been killed by their own worst nightmares."

Adam shook. "That's crazy. I couldn't imagine it..."

"What are you afraid of, Adam?" Matt asked.

"Spiders," Christian offered.

"Not true! I played bait when we fought Victoria, remember?"

"Not those kind... the Daddy Long Legs with the disgustingly long legs..." Steve slapped Christian's head, cutting off whatever he was going to say.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

"KEEP YOUR FUCKING EYES ON THE FUCKING ROAD!" Steve shouted.

"Alright, sorry... like anything's going to happen on this fucking abandoned highway..."

"Expect the unexpected," Adam sang. Steve turned to Matt and said, "So, did Tweedledumb and Tweedlebitch tell you the difference between a demon and the Demon Master?"

"You're Tweedlebitch," Christian said, pointing at Adam. Adam sighed and said, "We didn't. Not yet, anyway."

"So you didn't even let him know what kind of Son of a Bitch was after him?" Steve asked. He shook his head. "Alright, you doorknobs at least told him how demons are made, right?"

"When a mother's eight months pregnant, the Demon Master feeds her his own blood," Matt said.

"That's right. But Demon Masters are born differently."

"Aren't Demon Masters demons?" Matt asked.

"That's like calling Satan a demon, boy. They're so much more than just demons. Mark could've killed all of us last night, if he wished."

"Then why were you goading him?" Adam asked.

Steve ignored him and said, "Demon Masters are born demon. As in, the Demon Master had sex with an idiot harpy who thinks scary as shit guys are sexy and she popped out a little Demon Master nine months later."

Matt looked disgusted. Why would any woman sleep with a guy who emanates such a dark, evil aura? "My thoughts exactly," Steve said, seeing his face. "So, when shit gets horrible in the bastard's upbringing, he starts manifesting powers. And if we find it before the Demon Master does, we kill it."

"There can only be two," Adam said, "So, while one's alive, the bastards can't make another." Matt nodded, taking it all in.

"Demon Masters pretty much have every power their little minions have, with the occasional exception, like Raven's power. Otherwise, we are dealing with the all-seeing, all powerful Shit of the world," Steve said.

"And that thing's after me?" Matt asked, "Fuck, I don't think I want to know anymore. What's for breakfast?"

"Pretzels and beer," Christian said.

"Great. Pass some back before I die."

* * *

Steve separated from them when they got on the border of Virginia. He looked at them and said, "Look. You three should lay low for a while. I'm going to go find Mark's trail."

"But... we need to hunt," Adam said, "Hunter's going to kill us already for being inactive for so long and for Matt..."

"Trust me. This guy's after you three, so stay low. If he doesn't get his objective, that's a victory in some way." Steve ruffled Christian's hair. "Keep driving that uptight brother of yours bananas. And Adam, keep this monkey boy on task."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Once again, they ask me to do the impossible."

Matt laughed. "If anyone could do it, it's you, Addy-dick."

"When will you stop calling me that?" Adam asked.

"NEVER!" Christian yelled. They said goodbye to Steve and drove back home. No one really knew what to do, so Christian suggested they watch _Evil Dead_. They put it in and sat and watched.

"Holy shit on rye," Adam said, "Did she just get raped by a tree?"

"Shut up, Adam," Matt said. Christian was too freaked out by what he just saw to say anything.

Later, Adam shouted out, "Holy fucking cow! He just chopped the girl into pieces!"

"She had a demon in her, Adam. Shut up." Later, Christian grabbed Matt's arm and squeezed tightly.

"This is freaky," Christian whispered.

"You're a demon hunter," Matt reminded him, "Shut up."

"But I've never gouged out anyone's EYES before!" he said.

"Good for you. Movie's on. Shut up."

"Can we go back to the idea of the tree..."

"Movie's on. Shut up," Matt repeated.

Christian and Adam exchanged looks. Yes, this movie was undeniably good- but downright freaky. How could Matt see it so calmly?

When the credits finally rolled, Matt grinned like a little child. "That was soooo awesome!"

"It was disgusting," Adam said.

"I know. I freaked out the first time I saw it too. But it's great!" Matt clapped his hands together.

Christian unlatched himself from Matt and said, "I think I pissed my pants, but that's easily the best horror movie I've ever seen."

"Excuse me while I vomit," Adam said. He got up and Matt and Christian laughed at him.

"Thanks again," Matt said.

"Your welcome." Christian looked at Matt. "Last night never happened, okay?"

"Sure. And thanks. As stupid as the sentiment was, it was... sweet. Thanks." Christian smiled at him.

"I don't think it was stupid."

"That's because you're stupid."

"Am not!" Christian protested.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Christian crossed his arms. "I'm going to make Addy cook for me now." Matt laughed as Christian stomped away in an exaggerated drama queen fashion.

* * *

Matt woke up, the smell of flowers filling his nose. He looked out and saw Jeff smiling above him. "Welcome back, big brother."

Matt didn't know what came over him. With his identity crisis, and the way Jeff was messing with his head, not saying anything straight, just the sight of his little brother made him angry. He stood up and said, "What am I?"

Jeff stepped back. "Matt, you know what-"

"I don't want to hear that mystic bullcrap you keep feeding me," Matt said, stepping closer, "Just tell me straight out: what am I?"

"I can't," Jeff said. Matt snapped and grabbed Jeff by his collar.

"What the hell? Why can't you? You can say whatever you want!"

"Matt, stop it..."

"Just tell me!" Matt yelled.

"Matt, you're hurting me..."

"TELL ME!"

"You don't want to know!" Jeff sobbed, "That's why I've been speaking in riddles- you don't really want to know. You don't. Otherwise, you'd know. Because you've always known."

Seeing his little brother's tears snapped Matt back to reality. "Fucking shit..." He eased him down. "Jeffro... I'm sorry..."

Jeff wrapped his arms around Matt and sobbed into his chest. "Matt, I'm sorry... I want to help you, I really do... Oh God, this is my fault..."

"Nothing's your fault," Matt said, rubbing Jeff's back soothingly.

"You don't understand... he wouldn't have found us if it weren't for me..."

Matt pulled away and held Jeff's chin. "What?"

"Mommy hid us from Mark... it was some kind of thing, I dunno... I'm the one who alerted him to the fact we didn't move..."

"Jeff, you're not making any sense," Matt said, "What did you do?"

"Shannon's friend Kelsi... she had a Ouija board... Shannon swore it'd be fun... but we saw him... we saw Mark, and he said 'So she tricked me'... and he wouldn't have known about me, you, and Daddy if I didn't... my fault, my fault me and Daddy are dead, and he's chasing you..." Jeff's eyes widened. He stopped sobbing, eyes filled with fear. "Mattie, wake up."

"Jeff, what's going on..."

"Mattie, you have to wake up. Something's wrong. This isn't just your dream anymore."

"Jeff..."

"Go!" Jeff pushed him. "Find a way to wake up! He's here!"

Matt looked behind Jeff and saw Mark there, reaching out his arms. "Jeff, look out!"

Too late. Mark's arms wrapped around Jeff's waist and picked him up. "Didn't you die once before?" He whispered.

"Mattie, don't worry about me! Run!"

"I won't leave you..."

"Run! Wake up! Get out of here!"

"I'm not going to let you die again!" Matt yelled.

Jeff looked at him softly. "Don't worry about me. Go." Jeff's body glowed, and then he disappeared from Mark's arms. Mark blinked until he heard the words, "Behind you."

Jeff jumped on Mark's back, putting his arms around his neck. "Mattie, go! This is your dream too... control it!"

* * *

Adam threw down his book as soon as he heard the hyperventilating. He jumped out of his room and ran to Christian's, but Christian was asleep... well, not anymore.

"Fuck you Adam. I was sleeping!" He complained.

"Listen," Adam said. They heard the hyperventilating again, and Christian stood up. "Shit, is that Matt?"

"Is he having a nightmare?" Adam asked. Adam hadn't gone to sleep for fear the tree rape scene would be in his mind when he did.

"I dunno. Should we wake him up?"

"He doesn't sound too good... Christian, get a paper bag and bring it to Matt's room."

"Why?" Christian asked, "And where would I find one?"

Adam slapped him. "Just do it!"

Christian did as he was told and Adam went over to Matt's room. He saw Matt sweating and breathing heavily, as if trying to find his breath. He shaked Matt awake, but Matt was still breathing erratically. "Christian, the bag!" He screamed.

"I can't find one!"

"Shit!" Matt was breathing way too fast, and he needed some Carbon Dioxide in his system. Adam did the only thing he could do- and if he found a paper bag later, Christian was dead.

He pushed his lips into Matt's and began breathing into his mouth. He saw Matt's eyes widen, but he didn't care- at least he'd breathe stably.

Matt blinked as Adam pulled away, still breathing a little heavily, but not as scarily as he was before. "What was that for?"

"Next time, I'll let you die," Adam said sarcastically. Matt blinked, and then he remembered.

"Jeff!"

"Your brother?" Adam asked, confused.

"Mark was in my dream," Matt said, "And he had Jeff..."

"Matt," Adam said softly, "It was a dream."

"No! It wasn't just a dream!" Matt looked at him. "Jeff's been talking to me in some of my dreams. But they feel real, Adam. I can feel in there- it's not like a dream, where nothing can hurt you. I can feel some of those things..."

"Shh." Adam wrapped his arms around Matt. "It was only a nightmare."

"It wasn't!" Matt shook his head. "No, this was real... Mark was really there..."

"Mark was really where?" Christian appeared in the doorway, holding a paper bag. "And what did you need this for?"

"Too late, bum," Adam said. "And Matt had a nightmare..."

"It was not a nightmare!" Matt insisted.

"But you were asleep," Christian said, "And Mark can't get you in this space."

"But..."

"Really, Matt, you're overreacting," Adam said gently, "Now, we can all try to get some sleep..."

"No!" Matt looked at them. "Please, I don't want to go back to sleep. Please."

"Okay," Adam said, "Christian, get out the deck of cards."

* * *

Mark was snapped back from the inside of Matt's dream. He felt a bite mark on his neck: the younger Hardy's dream doppelganger bit him roughly, trying to give Matt time to wake up.

Raven looked at his Master and said, "Remember, it's his dream too. You have to manipulate every angle."

Mark nodded. "Is there any way I can go back?"

"Not until Matt's asleep again."

"And how long will the link between us stand?"

"A week."

Mark tapped his chin. "So I have to get him by the end of the week." By drinking Matt's blood, Mark made a bond that was able to connect him to where ever Matt was. And for a week, every time Matt fell asleep, Mark would be there to make his dreams into nightmares.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	12. Welcome to My Nightmare

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews, all. I love them. And I love the speculation! Keep speculating! This chapter's dedicated to Slashdlite; she left me like, seven reviews one day!**

**Warnings: Grave desecration, more violence, and some evil-ness.**

**There are references to a 'Nightmare room'. This is where Brian and Paul were killed, if you were wondering.  
**

**When we last left off, Matt's dream sanctuary where Jeff (or Jeff's doppelganger) resides was breached by the Demon Master. Matt's now wary of sleep, and meanwhile, Steve Austen's trying to find out just what is it that Mark wants with Matt...  
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**Chapter Twelve: Welcome to my Nightmare  
**

"You owe me big time," Rob Szatkowski said into his walkie talkie, hidden in front of a cemetery in a small rural town in Texas, "I swear, if it was anyone else, me and Terry'd have said no."

"Well then, thank fucking God that I'm me then, huh?" the voice answered.

"Why is it so important that you see this body?" Rob asked.

"I told you, Rob. I don't have the answers yet myself. But I have to find out."

Rob sighed. "And you really think we're going to get attacked?"

"I wouldn't have gotten you guys and the rookies if I thought this would be safe." He chuckled, "Just keep your eyes peeled, Zatpowski."

"It's Szatowski."

"Whatever. Dammit, you have a shitty last name."

"Shut the fuck up," he said, "And just hurry up and do what you have to do."

"Copy that, major Shit-house-key."

"It's Szatow-"

"Just messing with you, Rob. What happened to your sense of humor?"

"A fucking Rancor beat it out of me."

There was laughter. "You faced a Rancor?"

"I was not happy with that. Terry never finds the easy ones."

"Rob, if you faced the easy ones, it'd be a massacre."

"Don't I know it." Rob turned off his walkie talkie and looked around. "Terry, you hear anything?"

"Just you, babe."

Rob shook his head; Terry had a way of being real inappropriate when it was time to be serious. "That's what I'm worried about."

"Well, I didn't know you were fucking Terry. That's the stuff of Nightmares." Rob whisked around and found himself face to face with Raven.

"What's up, Scott?" Rob asked, cool as could be.

"You're the only one I'd allow to get away with that," Raven said. He reached out a hand and touched Rob's arm, where the long scar from their first encounter, when Rob sliced himself to break the illusion, lay. "If you remember, I killed Stevie for begging 'Scott' to come back to his senses."

Rob jerked away from the cold touch. "Stevie was like a brother to me, Scott, and you killed him."

"Would've killed the others, too, if you hadn't gotten in the way." Raven laughed. "You know, you always fascinated me, Rob. The way you were the golden boy. Everyone loved you. Me, I was the depraved freak who could shoot to kill... and had an uncanny way of playing mind games."

"I can play them too," Rob said, "Like talking to an old friend while I pulled out my gun."

Raven didn't have time to move; Rob shot him directly through the head. But Raven just laughed and the body disappeared. "That's the thing, Robbie. Make them think you're in one place... while really you're in the other."

"Terry," Rob breathed. He ran to his friend's position and found him rolling away. He lifted his gun, but it was empty as Raven walked over. Rob picked up his and shot at Raven a couple of more times.

"Want to know your worst fear, Rob?" Raven asked, "It's not being able to save your friends again." Rob realized what was happening and reached for his knife, but it disappeared. Raven tsked. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice... well, you didn't, so what does it matter?"

Rob had to do something. His gun had two, maybe three more bullets, and he couldn't waste them. He needed to break the vision.

He pointed the gun at his lower side as Raven went in for the kill. "Please don't kill yourself, Szatkowski," he prayed while he shot himself.

The pain broke the vision, and the sound made Raven look up. Rob fell to his knees and lifted the gun to Raven. "I guess I did fool you twice." He shot the round, but Raven was gone before it could hit him.

Terry stood up and ran over to Rob. "You really did it this time, Robbie. If after all the demons that could've killed you, you end up killing yourself... I'll laugh at you until the end of time."

"Fuck up, Terry, I just saved your worthless life." Wish I could do it without taking a chunk out of myself, Rob thought, wincing at the wound. If Raven was here, then Austen stumbled onto something important. That bastard owed him BIG time.

* * *

Austen walked through the cemetery with Chris Irvine by his side. He called himself Jericho for reasons unknown to Austen- his partner called himself Punk, the fucking weirdo- but he was good at what he did. His shoulder length blond hair was tied back, and he was asking the same questions Rob just asked him, but in a more annoying, persistent type way.

"Come on, Steve, why are we here?" Chris asked. Austen would do anything to shut Jericho up right then and there.

"Listen punk..."

"Punk's my partner," he said. Austen fumed, ready just to grab the little sissy and throw him on the pointy fence, but he held back.

"I have no answers, so stop asking questions," Austen said. The way he figured it, the less people who knew about Matt, the less danger he'd be in. If everyone knew that there was a hunter who could create fire and squeeze through windows, some of them might try to hurt him.

And after enduring that asylum and Adam and Christian, he thought Matt deserved to have a little peace.

They eventually got to the topmost plots of graves, and Austen said, "Look for M. Calaway."

"Wait... you want me to find HIS body?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"What did I say about asking fucking questions?" He snarled. Chris nodded and they began looking through the tombstones, searching for M. Calaway. Eventually, Austen found him, and he and Chris dug until they got to the coffin. Steve opened it and there lay a perfectly preserved body; it was as if decay never hit him. You wouldn't know he was dead if it not for the bullet wound through his forehead; his cheeks were still filled with the color of life.

The body was that of a pre-teen, only eleven. He had shoulder length dark hair and pale skin. He already had a fearsome look to him. Austen was almost afraid just looking at him that the body would awake.

"He's been dead for twenty five years," Chris asked, "How is this possible?"

"Even nature wouldn't dare to mess with him," Austen muttered. There was nothing innocent about this child; he looked like a monster already.

"Well, what're you going to do?" Chris asked.

Austen went into the hole and grabbed the boy's arm. He pulled a pen out of his pocket and began drawing a triquetra on his arm. As soon as he finished, he waited for the skin to bubble- but it never happened. Austen took a deep breath; the times were perfect, what Matt could do, and now this... there wasn't a doubt in his mind what Matt was.

"Poor fucking kid," Austen muttered. That meant Mark would never let him escape, no matter how long he laid low. He needed Matt; it wasn't some sick infatuation.

"He knew you were coming." Chris turned around and saw a Barbie-like blond standing behind him- Jillian, a Banshee. "He told me to wait here for you. Steve, he told me to tell you that you should understand now- the Hardy boy belongs to him."

"Steve, what the fuck is going on?" Chris yelled. Steve grabbed the sides of the top and began climbing out of the grave. The Banshee laughed and opened her mouth and made a shrill, loud sound. It knocked Chris into the grave, pushing into Steve and putting them both into the ground.

"It's only fitting," she said smugly, "Your mentor sent poor Marcus to this early grave twenty five years ago, Chris. Now you get to share it with him."

She let out the shrill sound again and dirt began knocking into the grave. Chris spit out dirt and tried to get up, but the dirt kept pushing him down. His fear grew- he didn't want to be buried alive.

She kept letting out the banshee cry, not noticing a dark haired boy in jeans and a Ramones t-shirt standing behind her. He had headphones in his ears, blasting Apocalyptica to drown out the screeching sound. He raised the gun to her head and smiled cruelly.

"You confess it all away but it's only shit to me," Punk sang as he put a bullet into the Banshee's head. She fell to the ground, unable to believe there was a third. If there was one thing that worked about Austen being a loner, it was that nobody expected three people. Nightstalkers hunt in twos.

"I'm not Jesus I will not forgive," he spat. He walked to the grave and bent down next to it. He pulled off the headphones and smiles. "Well, look at what I found!"

Chris was digging out of the short layer of dirt with his fingers, and he looked at Punk angrily. "What took you so long?"

"She needed to be completely distracted before I made my move," Punk said.

"Did you need to be so theatrical?" Chris asked.

"Get the FUCK off me, Irvine!" Chris stood up and saw an angry Steve Austen under him.

"Sorry," Chris said, blushing.

Austen pulled out his walkie talkie. "Rob you son of a bitch, tell me you're alright."

The answer that came back was from Terry. "Rob's fine, though he's bleeding like a motherfucker. Raven came after us."

"Raven?" Austen said, "And we got a banshee at our throats. Raven might've just been after Rob. He wants to kill him badly."

"I don't think so. I think he'd like to pull Rob into the Nightmare Room, like he did that family in Nova Scotia."

"Well, we're all fucked in the end," Austen said, "Get Rob medical attention. Shrek and his donkey over here will accompany you."

Punk crossed his arms, but Chris said nothing. Punk walked over and helped Chris out of the grave. Steve hopped out and said, "Follow them. Make sure they go to the hospital in Dallas or Austen; one of the big cities. Don't leave Rob alone for a second."

"Where are you going?" Chris asked.

"To Virginia."

"Why?"

"Don't fucking worry about that." Austen didn't know what to do. His instincts were telling him to shoot the kid in the head, but he knew the cycle wouldn't end with Matt. And he liked the kid. Maybe it was better to have one with a heart, one who would fight tooth and nail to deny his destiny. But Mark wouldn't stop, not until Matt was as twisted and dark as he was.

He just had to find Matt, and he could find out from there.

* * *

Christian and Adam were worried about Matt. He looked horrible. He had bags under his eyes and always looked like he was about to die. He could hardly eat or even move.

As Matt went to the table for breakfast, Adam looked at his friend's bad form. "It's been like this for three days," Adam whispered to Christian, looking at Matt sluggishly eating his cereal, "Do something."

Christian grinned and said, "Hey, Mattie?" Matt looked up and made a grunt that could've been interpreted as a yes, but it was questionable. "How's about you and I go into town and buy _Evil Dead 2_? You can see some non-swampy land, get some fresh air, take a nap in the car..."

"I don't want a nap," Matt mumbled.

"Matt, you really need to rest," Adam said gently, "You look like hell."

"Can't," he said. He left his half eaten cereal at the table and said, "I'm going for a walk."

He left the house, and Adam said, "I'll go with him. He'll probably pass out and fall into the bog and drown if I don't." He left, and Christian bit his lip. He hated seeing Matt like this. He wished there was something he could do to convince him that it was all just a nightmare, and that Mark couldn't reach him here. He suddenly got an idea and ran into the library.

* * *

Matt blinked rapidly as he walked along the swamp. He had to do something to stay awake, but it was killing him to do so. He knew that it was Mark in there, and that it was real. It had to be real. But how did Jeff know the stuff he knew? And he said he wasn't Jeff exactly, but knew and felt all the things Jeff felt, but that made no sense to Matt. Nothing made sense to Matt anymore.

"Matt!"

Matt turned around and saw Adam. "Go away."

"And let you roam until you pass out from exhaustion?" Adam asked. "Be serious." Adam wrapped an arm around the younger man's stomach and said, "You're killing yourself."

"Better than letting Mark get me," he mumbled.

Adam made Matt face him and said, "Listen to me, Matt. It's all in your head. Mark's messed with you so many times that you're dreaming about him. He can't get to you here."

"Adam, but I know it. I know he was actually there, that these dreams are more than just dreams. You just don't understand."

"Then help me understand. Christian and I would do anything to help you," Adam said, "Please, Matt, you look terrible. You can't let a silly nightmare ruin your life."

Matt pulled out of Adam's arm. "It's not silly, and I'm trying not to let it ruin my life." He walked away, and Adam sighed.

"He's going to kill himself before Mark even has the chance."

* * *

After hours of searching, Christian finally found it. After dinner, Christian said, "Hey Matt, I've got something for you."

Matt looked up and Christian handed him a dusty old notebook. "What is this?"

"It's Shawn's old demon guide. He wrote everything he found out about demons in here. Maybe this'll help convince you that you're safe here," Christian said.

Matt looked at it and opened it. The first page was dedicated to shifters; apparently, that was the first demon Shawn encountered. He flipped through and saw that Shawn had a neat, legible handwriting, and that he learned a lot in his heyday.

"Shawn and Hunter saw the world before they started training us," Christian said, "He's bound to have found out everything you need to know about them."

"Thanks," Matt said.

"Anytime," Christian said. But Matt didn't start reading it yet; he took a shower and drank a few cups of coffee to keep himself awake. His zombie-like state made the shower a longer event than it usually was, and he almost fell asleep against the shower wall three times. And then he almost drowned in the coffee pot when he pulled it out.

He had to do something to keep awake, so he went to the couch and sat there with the notebook. He didn't know where he'd read, but he'd read it all until he found something worth reading.

Suddenly, the pages began to flip on their own. Matt watched in amazement and horror as they kept flying until they landed on an entry that, in bold letters, said RAVEN, with his picture attached to it.

Matt began to read the entries:

_So, this is Raven, the new nightmare demon. Ric says that, with categories like nightmare, fire, torture, and such other evil unmentionables, there is only one of their kind until they die, and then another awakens. Raven used to be called Scott Levy. He trained with the ECW originals. His partner was Steve Richards. After failing to keep the tattoo on his skin, he killed Steve, and was thwarted by Rob Szatkowski from killing the others. Ric says Rob's some kind of prodigy. I don't see what's so cool about him, though. Ric says that's because I'm so vain that I can't look past my own nose, but then I pointed out that it was Hunter with the view blocking nose, not me._

_Ric says nightmare demons have a certain skill set: they can know your greatest fear just by touching you. They feed off this fear. They can enter your dreams and twist them into nightmares. They can send other consciousnesses into your dreams to interact with you; other demons to kill you in horrible ways. I heard that this one family, the McKinleys, were burned in their own dreams by Kane. He freaks me out. But I can't talk about him here, he has his own entry. Hunter's right; I do go off on tangents too much. Aw well. Anyways, he can also make you see illusions of your worst fears. They can kill you, because if the brain thinks it's dead, it'll tell the body to die. Freaky, huh? I never want to meet Raven._

_Whelps, I met Raven today. The fucking demented freak kept calling me a 'pretty little pet' and kept making comments about my beautiful hair and whatnot, and how he wanted to see my 'sparkly blue orbs' glow with fear. Fucker. Hunter's never called a 'pretty little pet'. But Hunter says that's because he's taller, more muscular, less pretty, and more classically handsome than I am. I say it's because of his large honker. And then he called me his pretty little pet, so I'm not talking to Hunter. He's a rectal fucker. Anyway, back to Raven. He put me and Hunter in these illusions, and we almost died, but Tom Loughlin and Jim Fullington saved us. And I learned something new- Raven wants all his old friends dead. He wants to play with some of them first, especially Rob, but he wants to kill them. He likes to play with anyone who breaks his illusions before he kills them. Thank goodness Hunter and I didn't, because then we'd be on that 'Nightmare Room' shit list._

_I asked Ric about the Nightmare Room, and it's apparently Raven's nest in the Demon World. He takes pleasure in causing the people there to see various nightmares, squeezing every last drop of hope out of them until all that's left is despair and fear. And then he kills them. I shiver thinking about that place. I wonder if anyone's ever escaped te Nightmare Room. Ric says yes, but he's dead now. So, if the last escape was so long ago, I hope I never see the inside of that room._

_Today I learned a horrible lesson from a sweet girl. Tammy Sytch was her name, and Raven wanted her for some reason. She apparently helped the Harts escape his clutches, and he was itching for revenge. I thought if I brought her to Hunter's and my home, she'd be safe. Hunter told me I shouldn't bring her here, because she's not a Nightstalker, but she helped Bret and Jim out, and she's brave, and I like her. He says I like her too much, but I never said anything about the goo goo eyes he makes at Stephanie McMahon when her father, Vince, and Bob Orton, our financial backer, have meetings. And Stephanie dresses like a total tramp sometimes. Back to the story. So, I let her sleep in my bed with me, and, when I wake up, she's on top of the ceiling. She's having a nightmare, and she's dying from it. I tried to help her, but it was too late; my poor Tammy died. I didn't understand how Raven got her until I heard about the blood link. Apparently, when someone drinks another someone's blood, they get linked together. And, when they have that link, it goes across barriers. Even the one around the swamp. And Raven can use that link to send the person who drank the blood into the person whose blood he drank's dreams across barriers, and to pull them out eventually, of course. That's fucking scary to me. That means we're NEVER safe._

Matt dropped the book. The answers were all right there. When Mark drank his blood on his birthday, it created a link, one that Raven was using to project Mark into his dreams. He needed to find out how long this link lasted, so he picked it up to read on.

_I faced Raven again two months after Tammy died. She was my sunshine through my bleak existence, and he took her away. I couldn't let him get away with this. But I barely survived again. I'm so weak. What's the point in all this training if I'm not strong enough to defend people I've come to care for? with this. But I barely survived again. I'm so weak..._

Matt realized he read the same line over again, so he tried to pick up, but the words became blurry. He blinked, trying to keep himself up, but he couldn't. Even as he fought, he didn't understand that he was slowly losing this battle, slowly falling into deep sleep...

* * *

Matt woke up, Jeff right above him. "What're you doing here?" Jeff shouted, "You have to go! The bond's still between you and Mark!"

"I know!" Matt said, "I didn't mean to fall asleep, I tried not to..."

Jeff grabbed Matt's hands and helped him up. "It's okay. I don't blame you. I'm kind of surprised you stood awake for this long, big brother." Jeff kissed his cheek softly and said, "But you need to wake up before he comes."

"I don't remember how I did it before," Matt admitted.

"Well, you have to try, or else something bad'll hap-"

"Matt?" Matt and Jeff turned around and Matt gasped; there was Adam, wearing the clothes he went to sleep with.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Matt asked.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Adam retorted, "Where are we? And whose that?"

Matt thought for a while, but then it clicked with him. And Raven can use that link to send the person who drank the blood into the person whose blood he drank's dreams... "Adam drank my blood," Matt said, remembering how Adam sucked out the poison, "Adam's connected to me too."

"Matt, what the hell is going on?" Adam asked.

"Get him out of here!" Jeff yelled, "Both of you need to go! We don't have ANY time for this! Mark is coming!"

"Someone explain..."

"Adam, meet Jeff," Matt said, grabbing his arm, "Jeff, meet Adam. Let's go."

"Your brother? But... is this a dream?" Adam asked, "But I have no idea what your little brother looks li-"

"GO!" Jeff yelled.

Matt pulled Adam's arm, and Adam said, "What about your brother?"

"Adam, for once, stop asking questions," Matt said, "Just follow what I-" Jeff pushed them down just as something flew right where Adam's head used to be.

Mark walked over and grinned. "The surprises keep mounting!"

Jeff stood up and crossed his arms. "You can't have my brother."

"Says who, little one?" Mark asked.

"Says me!" Jeff shoved his head into Mark's chest, winding him a little. But Mark grabbed him by the arms and lifted him up. Jeff rammed his head into Mark's, making a loud sound fill everyone's ears. "Matt!" He yelled, "Go!"

* * *

Christian went over to the kitchen to grab a snack, but then he noticed Matt finally fell asleep. He smiled; maybe a good night's sleep is all he needs to realize he's safe. Christian went into Matt's room and grabbed the quilt, bringing it out to cover Matt. But then he noticed how Matt was sweating, and the look on his face.

"Hey Matt?" Christian said, trying to shake him awake, "Mattie, wake up. Matt, you have to wake up." Matt's eyes opened, and he looked around. "Are you okay..."

"Adam's still there!" Matt screamed.

"Still where?" Christian asked. "Adam's asleep in his room..."

Matt jumped up and ran to Adam's room. Christian followed behind him, confused. Matt began shaking Adam's asleep body violently. "Adam, wake up," Matt said, "ADAM, WAKE UP!"

"What're you doing?" Christian asked. But he began to grow worried; Adam never slept deeply.

"He's still in my dream," Matt cried, "He has to wake up! Mark's there!" Matt ran out, and he came back with a pot full of water. Before Christian could stop him, he threw the pot all over Adam. But he didn't wake up.

"Something's wrong," Christian said. Normally, that would make him laugh, but Adam didn't sleep deeply. Ever. He was the good little Nightstalker.

"He's still in there with Mark!" Matt yelled. Matt ran to his room and found Mickie's bag of potions. He took out the protection potion and ran to Adam. He opened his mouth and poured the whole thing in; Adam would not end up like Tammy Sytch.

Matt kept trying to shake Adam awake, but he couldn't get him up. Shawn specifically said that Raven had the ability to pull the linked person out of the dream- that meant Adam couldn't leave the dream himself. Which means he's trapped there with the Demon Master.

Matt hoped that the potion lasted long enough for them to find a way to pull Adam out. If it didn't, and Jeff couldn't fight him anymore, then Mark could do whatever he wanted to Adam.

"Christian, what do I do?" Matt asked, looking at Adam's sleeping face.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	13. Just Close Your Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews, all. I love them. And I love the speculation! Keep speculating! This chapter's dedicated to NeroAnne, my Inner in-law, who always leaves me such lovely reviews.**

**Warnings: Violence, lots of it, and some angst.**

**When we last left off, Adam was trapped in the dream world...  
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**Chapter Thirteen: Just Close Your Eyes  
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Jeff pulled Mark's hair like reins, but Mark grabbed Jeff by the hair and threw him onto the ground. He looked him over and laughed. "Nothing more than a Tulpa, made by big brother's shame and pain," he said, "With Matt gone, I control this dream now. Not you, you little doll." He laughed and said, "And where did little Adam go?"

Adam was running, screaming out Matt's name. Where did he go? One second, Matt and him were next to each other, together, and the next, he was gone. What was going on here? Where was he?

Suddenly, a tree branch slithered up Adam's leg and wrapped around it. It pulled him down and he screamed. "No! Not that! Don't do it!" He shut his eyes, thinking about what happened in Evil Dead.

"Don't do what?" Mark walked up to him. He bent down to grab the little Nightstalker, but then, suddenly, he was repelled. The root withered and died, useless now. Mark angrily tried to grab him again, but, once again, he was repelled. Then, a ball of fire appeared in his hand, and he threw it at Adam. It was deflected and instead burned a spot of grass right next to him. Mark threw a few more, but they all did the same thing. "You've been protected," Mark seethed. He angrily burned a tree, to make up for the fact that he couldn't grab and kill the blond one.

"How?"

"A potion, I guess." Mark sat down. "You're trapped here, though. With me. And that potion will eventually wear off."

"What do you mean?" he asked, sitting up.

"I mean, you foolish dolt, that, without Matt to help you, you're trapped in his head." Mark looked around. "It's a lot prettier than I thought it would be. You would think it'd be twisted, by all the things he went through."

"The things you put him through!" Adam exclaimed.

An evil smirk crossed Mark's face. "I hope to put him through a lot more by the end of this little charade he's putting on."

"There's no charade!" They turned around and saw Jeff. "This is who he really is, you monster."

"You have no idea, puppet."

"I know everything," Jeff sneered, "I know what you tricked my mother and father into promising you, and I know what you're trying to do to my brother!"

"Tricked?" Mark laughed. "Oh little Pinocchio, Gilbert and Ruby willingly handed me Matt's destiny. Anything to let Ruby live, so they could have children... if it weren't for me, you wouldn't exist. You should be thanking me."

"Matt will never give in," Jeff said.

"It's in his blood, Jeffrey. Everyone before him has given in... he will be no exception."

"What is he?" Adam asked.

"He's your partner," Jeff said, "A Nightstalker. My brother."

Mark laughed. "What else is he, Jeffrey?"

"Matt doesn't have to be if he doesn't want to!" Jeff screamed.

"But he is," Mark said, "You can't change what he is, Jeffrey, no matter how much you want to. And poor Adam... you had to let Matt into your heart. He's going to hurt you, you know. He's probably going to kill you."

"Don't listen to him," Jeff said, "You know Matt! Don't let that asshole ruin your-"

Mark grabbed Jeff by the neck and quickly snapped it. Adam gasped in horror as he fell to the ground, lifeless. "The puppet was starting to bore me," Mark said.

Then, Adam saw something equally surprising. Jeff sat up, despite the angle his head was twisted, and he grabbed his head. He snapped it back into place and laughed. "I'm not yours to kill, Mark," he sneered. "How does it feel, to be unable to kill someone?"

"I was able to end your useless life before," Mark snapped, "My demon pulled your still beating heart out of your chest!"

Jeff lifted up his hand and plunged it into his chest. Adam gagged and looked away and Jeff ripped out his own heart, bloody tendrils hanging off his hand. "You mean like this?" Jeff asked, a little too innocently for someone holding their own heart. He put it back in and said, "Let me make it simple for you." His veins and arteries snapped back together, and his skin began to regrow. "I'm here so long as Matt wants me here. I'm his tulpa; only he can kill me. So burn me, stab me, dismember me... I'm not going anywhere."

"Then I can have the pleasure of killing you multiple times while waiting for your brother to return."

************

Matt came stumbling out of his room holding Mickie's potion bag. He ran to Adam's room and found Christian there. He told him everything he knew, and Christian sat there, waiting for him.

"Matt, come here," Christian said, holding a knife.

"What's that for?" Matt asked.

"Well... if I'm going in with you, I need to be linked to you too," he said simply.

"Christian, you can't come," Matt said.

Christian immediately got indignant. "I'm going, Matt."

"You can't. Someone has to stay out here and watch Adam and I," he said.

"So you just want me to watch your sleeping bodies while you face Mark?" Christian asked. Matt nodded. "Go to hell, Matt. I refuse to do that."

"Do it for me," Matt said, "I need you here in case something goes wrong. Now suck it up, Christian, and just understand that I need you to do this."

Christian crossed his arms. "Fine. Don't expect me to like it, though."

"Thanks," Matt said, sitting next to Adam on the bed.

"How long will you be out?" Christian asked.

"Four hours," Matt said, "If I'm not back a half an hour afterwards, wake me up. Hopefully, I'll have Adam with me."

Christian grabbed his arm. "But promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll come back with Adam," he said, "Promise me you'll both come back to me in one piece."

Matt just grinned cockily. "I don't need to promise. I'm going to do this for me." He opened the potion and said, "Wait for me, and, when this is all over, I'll take you up on your offer to get _Evil Dead 2."_

Christian smiled. "It's a date." Matt nodded and put the potion to his lips.

"To Adam's health," Matt said. He drank it and resisted the urge to spit it back out; it was bitter. He put the bottle down and laid down, vision already becoming cloudy. He could barely see Christian anymore; just a fuzzy outline. _I'm going to bring Addy back, promise._

_**************_

Matt opened his eyes slowly and realized that he wasn't in the dreamworld he went to whenever he dreamed of Jeff. He cursed and looked around. He was in... a nursery, of some sort. He looked around and saw the room was a light green. He had no idea where he was, or why he'd dream of this room... until he saw something.

He walked to the closet door and stared at the handles. He hadn't seen handles like this since... since Jeff hid in their own closet last year. He shut his eyes, dismissing the vision of Jeff bursting out, of Raven advancing on him, of Raven killing him...

"He and Shane are going to be the best of friends." Matt whipped around and saw the door open- and he gasped. There was his mother and father. They were young, happy looking- alive.

"Mom! Dad!" Matt said joyously. But his father walked right past him, like he wasn't even there. Then, he noticed his mother was holding a small baby, looking up at her with curious brown eyes. He had a small tuft of dark hair, and he knew... he was looking at himself.

"I've never seen Matthew so eager to play with another baby." Ruby began bouncing baby Matt in her arms, making him giggle. "Did you see them playing patty-cake?"

"Ruby, they were slapboxing," Gil said, refusing to believe his eldest son was playing patty cake.

"It was patty-cake," Ruby insisted.

"Matt slapped Shane on the forehead," Gil argued back.

"That's what you do in patty cake," Ruby said, "When you mark it with a b."

"I assure you, Matt was slapboxing," he said.

Ruby laughed and put baby Matt in his crib. "Go check on the milk, will you, Gil?"

Gil nodded and walked over to the crib, rubbing baby Matt's cheek. "Be a good boy for mommy, okay?" Matt just gurgled happily. "He's going to say da soon enough, you'll see," he said, giving Ruby a kiss before walking out.

Ruby laughed again and looked at her sweet baby boy. "Remember our promise, okay? You say ma before you say da, and Mommy'll give you a reward."

Baby Matt made a few unintelligible noises, and Ruby smiled, touching his nose lovingly. She was so happy... Matt couldn't help but smile, watching the scene. Then, the room went dark.

Matt and Ruby whipped around at the same time and saw Mark grab Ruby by the neck and slam her into the wall. She made a low, pained sound, and Matt screamed no. He ran over to help her, but he slipped through them, as if he was a ghost. Baby Matt grabbed the sides of his crib and stood up, his eyes trained on the shadow, trying to understand where his momma went.

"Please..." she gasped, trying to get air. Mark grinned and let her go.

"Relax," he said, "You don't want to alert your hapless husband to my presense, do you? And besides, I'm not here for you." He walked over to the crib and picked up the baby. "Well, look at him. Such a healthy baby. At least you're taking care of him well."

"You hurt him and you die!" Ruby screamed, advancing on the demon master. He held baby Matt with one hand and froze Ruby with the other.

"Relax woman; I'm not going to hurt him. And your taunts have no effect on me." Mark bounced baby Matt, who gargled back. Matt looked on with silent fury, wanting to rip Mark's face off for holding him, when he was so young and vulnerable. He chuckled and said, "Hello, sweet boy." He turned to Ruby, who he addressed with utter disdain. "You fed him yet, bitch?"

"That's none of your business!" She snapped, looking worried.

"Woman, I have no further need for you, so you best not get on my bad side. Did you feed him yet?"

"No."

"Good. I've got something better for him than mother's milk." With that, Mark pulled a bottle out of his pocket, but the thing in it was a black color that scared Ruby immensly.

"Don't..." She begged, "Please, he's just a baby!"

"Let me go," Matt yelled, "You hear me, you sick bastard, let me go..." But Mark didn't hear him. Matt was only here to see what already happened; not to stop it.

"I know. That's the only reason I don't bring him home now. I have to wait a little until the boy can take his rightful place." Mark held the bottle up, offering it to baby Matt. The infant eagerly took the top in his hands, thinking it was his normal milk, and brought it to his lips with Mark's help.

"Stop, please," Ruby begged, as baby Matt's small mouth clamped around the bottle.

"Shut up." Matt began to drink, and Mark tilted it up, making it easier. Matt drank it all and, as soon as he did, the bottle disappeared. "I'll know when he's ready to come home. Until then, you and Gilbert can delude yourselves into thinking this is a normal baby." He put baby Matt into Ruby's arms, and he disappeared.

Ruby collapsed onto a chair and rocked her baby. "Matthew, it's okay. Gil and I will find a way to protect you from him, I promise." She wept openly. "Just close your eyes and go to sleep, Matthew. It'll all be okay, I promise. Just close your eyes."

Matt squeezed his eyes shut; even though it wasn't directed at him, he still closed his eyes, wanting to believe that what he saw didn't happen, but he knew it did. Mark put something in him, but it didn't make him like this... something else happened to make him so coveted by the Demon Master. Something before.

And when he opened his eyes, he was in the dreamworld he met Jeff in.

************

Christian looked at the clock anxiously. Four hours was done. He looked at Matt, wondering if dreamtime and worldtime worked at the same pace. Did Matt find Adam? Would he wake up? Oh God, Christian was afraid.

He looked at Matt's sleeping face, and smoothed down his hair. "You know, there's so many things I need to tell you, Matt," he said, "So many secrets I've kept. You've got to come back so I can tell you everything."

He bit his lip. "So many times I was close to telling you, but I never did. And you never asked me again what I wanted to tell you before I threw up. A blessing, in some ways, because I don't know how to say this. I don't know how to make this right, how to fix this situation..."

He swallowed. "I guess it started your first day here. You were all bruised and battered, a victim of mine and Adam's tutelege. To see you so beaten... it made me want to cry. I would've done anything to heal every cut, get rid of every bruise... but I didn't know what it was. I had no idea, because I've never felt this before. I never met someone who could make me happy just by being in the same room with me, or make me so upset when he was sad even in the smallest of ways."

"And then, Vickie told me. Her warning for me... do you know what it was, Matt?" Christian felt a tear fall down his cheek. "Don't fall in love." He wiped the tear, and he said, "But it was too late, I knew it as soon as she said it. I was yours completely. I would do anything for you. I... I fell in love with you."

He laughed hollowly. "Sick, huh? Another guy wanting you. And the fact that, if things ever go the way I want them to, Adam would have no place with us. Vickie wouldn't have warned me against it either if it wasn't important. But I can't help it. You had me that first day, when you said you'd do anything to avenge your family's death.

"I tried to make it not true. I tried to just be your friend. I tried to find out that these feelings weren't... weren't love. But nothing worked. And now, I'm afraid that, if I tell you... it'll ruin everything. You won't like me anymore. Our team would crumble. All because I want to do this..."

Christian bent down and lightly brushed his lips against Matt's. He moved up, and said, "Come back to me. I'm willing to ignore these feelings, but... I can't live without you. Please come back to me."

*************

Matt ran over, frightened, seeing Mark and Jeff fighting, and Adam trying to help, just to be pushed away when he came within a foot of Mark. Mark threw Jeff into a tree and a tree branch quickly sliced his neck, right over his juglar. Adam tried to attack Mark again, but he was repelled, hitting the floor with a thud. Jeff's neck healed and he grabbed the branch, flipping off the tree into Mark's body. Jeff fell on top of him, and Mark quickly switched their positions, wrapping his hands around Jeff's neck. "Jeff!" Matt screamed.

Fire appeared on Mark's hands, but he ignored them. Matt screamed and ran over, tackling the demon master off his brother. "Matt, no!" Jeff yelled. "He can't hurt me... oh God, but he can hurt you..."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, trying to help his brother up. Jeff was too busy trying to warn Matt to stop the next thing from coming. A telekinetic blast pushed the brothers apart, making Jeff fall next to Adam's body and pushing Matt into the same tree Jeff was just on.

Jeff stood up and began shaking Adam. "We have to save him!" he screamed, "God, Matt doesn't want me hurt... he doesn't want me to fight Mark... it's making me weaker!"

"I don't understand..." Adam said.

"I'm a tulpa," Jeff said, "A manifestation of what Matt wishes were here. So I have to follow his wishes, even if he doesn't want me to follow his wishes. I can't tell him more than he really wants to know. I can't help him more than he really wants me to."

"You mean, what Matt wants deep down?" Adam asked.

"Yes, and he doesn't want me hurt. Come on, Adam, we have to stop him!"

Matt struggled against the force pushing him against the tree. Mark walked over and grabbed his arm, looking at the triquetra. "I think I can make it better," Mark said. Suddenly, Matt's skin seared with pain. His skin was cut, making him bleed and destroying the triquetra. If you looked past the cuts... you'd see the shape the monster from the future made with the dead bodies.

Mark laughed and rubbed Matt's cheek before slapping it playfully. "You've put up a good fight, but it's over. Just give in."

"Matt!" Matt looked up at Adam. "You can beat him."

"This is your dream!" Jeff screamed, "Control it!"

"Shut up!" Mark yelled.

"Matt," Jeff said, "What do you really want?"

Matt bit his lip. "I want to take Adam and myself out of here."

"And what do you need to accomplish that?" Jeff said, "Say it out loud! Say you want it... and then let yourself have it!"

"I want him to let me go!" Matt yelled. Then, the force was gone, and Matt was off the tree. "I want him to hurt," Matt said. The tree then began to attack him, but Mark let out fire, burning branches before they could hurt him. But it was enough of a distraction for Matt to run over and grab Adam.

"What now, Jeff?" Matt asked.

Jeff smiled weakly. "You have to wish this dreamworld away. It'll make it harder for Mark to use the connection if you wish your dreams away... because he can't visit your dreams if you don't have any."

"But what will that mean for you?" Matt asked.

Jeff grabbed his brother and hugged him. "This is the last time you'll ever see me," Jeff said, "But don't be afraid. I'm not really leaving you. I'll always be with you, Matt."

"I don't want you to go," Matt said.

"I don't want to go either. But I have to." Jeff kissed his cheek. "Always remember who you are. You are the son of Ruby Moore and Gilbert Hardy. You are Jeffrey Nero Hardy's brother. You are Matthew Moore Hardy, and nothing anyone says can change that."

"Hurry!" Adam yelled, seeing the tree begin to lose the fight.

"I love you," Jeff said, "Now, wish this world gone. Wish for no more dreams. Wish to get up... and you will. Just close your eyes, Mattie. Close them... and when you open them, you'll be back."

"I love you too, Jeff," Matt said sadly. And then he closed his eyes, trying to etch into his mind his brother... taking in what Jeff looked like for the final time.

And then he woke up.

*********

Adam stirred first. Christian let out a victory cry, jumping on his surrogate brother. "Addy-dick!" he said happily. "Shit, I just went through hell, relax!" Adam said.

Matt woke up next, and Christian wrapped an arm around him too, making one big group hug. "Oh, I'm so glad..." he said. Christian thought about everything he said, and decided that it was best to keep the secret like he promised. As for Matt, all he could think about was his lost brother, his Jeff.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	14. Desires and Memories

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for the reviews, all. They always put a smile on my face. This one's for you, Taker's Dark Lover.**

**Warnings: Violence, angst, and some sexual content.**

**When we last left off, the dreamworld's gone, but, unfortunately, so is Jeff. What'll happen next?  
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**Chapter Fourteen: Desires and Memories  
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Mark woke up from the dreamworld after Matt destroyed it. He saw Raven standing over him and he immediately pushed Raven out of his way. "Let me guess, things didn't go your way," Raven said.

"I'm warning you, you little asshole," Mark said. He disappeared and Raven shook his head. Of course they didn't. You know, maybe if Mark just killed Adam and Christian personally, maybe it'd be easier to get to Matt. Why did he spare Adam on the roof anyway? The old one was losing his touch.

He heard a giggle, and he turned around. A blond female demon was now in the room with him, crossing her arms. "You would think the Demon Master could handle a single child."

"It wasn't one," Raven said, "A Nightstalker and a Tulpa were in there as well."

"But I'm sure you could've done it, no problem." She moved away from the wall and smiled cruelly. "You wouldn't have let them stop you from dragging the poor child home."

"Watch how you talk about your Master," Raven snapped, although he was guilty of similar thoughts as well. She laughed and said, "Well, we're all a little guilty of treasonous thoughts at times."

She walked over and said, "We don't need him anymore, not now that this Matthew child has shown up. He's a bungler, and we could start a new world order..."

"Leave before you betray yourself," Raven said, turning around. He would not be linked with someone wanting to dethrone Mark.

"But you don't want me to leave." Raven's eyes widened, the voice no longer the woman's. No, it was a voice he knew all to well. He swung around and there stood Robert Szatowski, looking like his usual golden boy, head of the class self. "You never wanted me to leave. Remember?" Soon, there was barely an inch between him and Rob. Raven could feel Rob's breath on his skin, and he nearly crumbled. He and Rob had never been this close... well, except after he found out the tattoo wouldn't stick.

"Remember when the tattoo bubbled? I ran after you first, didn't I? And I tried to get you to come back with me."

"You knew what the bubbled mark meant," Raven said, "You knew everything, even then. You knew I was a demon, but you still tried to save me..."

"What did you say, Scott?" Rob asked, his voice still as seductive to Raven as ever, "What did you want me to do? What was the only way you'd agree to return with me to the other Originals?"

"If you submitted to me..."

Rob dropped to his knees and looked up at him. "I'm here to do just that." He kissed Raven's pants-covered erection and then began unbuttoning his jeans. Then, Raven grabbed Rob by the hair and pulled him up. Suddenly, Rob was gone and the girl was back.

"How do you know about Rob and me?" he asked angrily, "Who are you?"

She winked. "I know all about your little secret crush on Rob Szatowski, Scott Levy. I know everything about that."

"Who are you?"

"Someone whose tired of taking orders from a buffoon." She smiled. "And I think you are, too."

Raven grabbed her by the throat and lifted her. "I swear, you answer me..."

"I'm Maryse," she said, "And I'm the Lust Demon. And the one who will show Mark that he has something to fear." She hit Raven's arm, making him drop her, and she stood up. "Looks like the Master's on a temper tantrum. His reign is almost over, Raven. I just wonder whose side will you be on when he's finally on the ropes." She winked, and her eyes briefly became Rob's, making the simple gesture all the more powerful. "It's up to you, Raven."

And she disappeared, leaving the Nightmare Demon stunned.

********

"Stupid! Can't even talk to me?" Another fist hit Evan's face, and he fell to the floor. The kid was only eight and, after an accident when he was three, he was left completely mute. Something kids have made fun of for as long as he could remember.

"He can't even scream," the bully's friend chuckled.

The bully grabbed Evan by the collar and lifted him up. "Come on, shit stain. Say your name and we'll let you go."

A tear came down Evan's eye. He opened his mouth and his lips formed his name, but no sounds came. "What was that?" he asked. Evan tried again, but, of course, he remained mute. His head was bounced against the concrete and they laughed.

"Evan Bourne," the bully said, "Is that so hard to say? Eh-van Bourne. Three simple syllables. Say it."

_I can't! _Evan mouthed. _Please. _

The bully's friend laughed. "Baby Bourne wants us to stop."

"Yeah, see, he tried to say please." The bully smirked. "Maybe if we _heard_ a little bit of that, just maybe we'd let you go. So, come on. Beg. Let us here you."

Evan got up and immediately tried to run, but the bully's friend grabbed him and pulled him back. He was punched in the face, and, then, he heard a scream. "You leave him alone!"

The bullies ran, and then Evan felt a pair of warm arms around him. His mother's. "It's okay baby," she said, "I'm here for you."

He put his arms around her. He remembered trying to find out why he couldn't talk, laugh, scream, or make any sounds like other kids, and each time, his mother tried her best to make him understand. But he never could. Why should those bullies get to speak, but he couldn't? It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

"Come on," Mrs. Bourne said, grabbing Evan's hand, "Let's go home." He held on tightly and let her walk him home. No one understood him. No one but his mother. Mrs. Bourne was an angel to her son; she was infinitely patient and kind.

When they got home, Evan watched as he mother prepared a pot roast for dinner. "Hey," she said, "Evvy darling, how about you and I make some cookies?"

Evan nodded eagerly, and she smiled. "Choose the kind."

Evan went to the pantry and pulled out the batter of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies; his absolute favorite. He held them out to his mother and smiled his all-too innocent smile. "Of course, love."

They began rolling the dough into cookie shapes, and his mother kissed him on the forehead. Evan gave her a small peck on the lips, and she braced herself- this is what made her child different from everyone else.

She saw a picture of Evan standing in the school garden, pointing at the flowers excitedly. She loved flowers, and she never got any, not since her husband died in the same accident that left Evan mute. She smiled and ruffled his hair. "Only you would be so thoughtful."

They put the cookies in the oven, and Mrs. Bourne took out the pot roast. "It needs some time to cool, so why don't you go wash your hands and get ready?" Evan smiled and ran to the bathroom. As he washed his hands, he thought about how everything would be alright... so long as he had his mother.

Just then, he heard his mother whisper to him urgently. "Evan, stay in there. Stay in there until I come to get you, okay? Just... stay in there."

_Mama? _Evan heard his mother's footsteps moving away from the door, and he wasn't sure what was going on. Then, he heard a crash. He sat on the toliet and hugged his knees to his chest. He hoped she was okay.

He was getting too impatient to continue waiting. He needed to know what was going on. And he needed to know now.

He opened the door a peep and, suddenly, the door slammed open, Standing above him was a man with angry gray eyes, large teeth, and way too much hair. He looked past him and there, on the couch, and on the floor, and on the coffee table, and in the man's mouth, was his mother. Ripped to pieces.

His eyes widened in fear and, if he could scream, he would have let out a blood curling shriek to put the rest to shame. "Can't scream, kiddie?" the man asked, "That's too bad. I always likes it when they scream."

Running on instinct, Evan ran over past the evil creature to the couch. There was his mother's head, eyes glassy, and blood and tendrils hanging out of her neck. Evan bit his lip and gave into the dark inspiration. He bent down and kissed his mother's lips, absorbing her final memory... the memory of being ripped apart.

The demon went over and bent down so he was eye level with Evan. "Ooh, sick. You're kissing a decapitated head... weirdo."

Evan spun around angrily and pushed his lips into the monster's. His eyes widened, and he was filled with the memories of being ripped apart by himself over and over again. He felt his life fade disgustingly over and over again. He tried to pull away, but Evan held on. He continued until the demon died so many times mentally that he actually died.

Then, his memories went into Evan. So many memories of him ripping apart people like he did his mother. It was only right, this demon feeling the same pain he bestowed on so many. Evan's hair grew as he did, and he grew taller. He looked at the window, and the person reflected at him was at least twelve, not just eight.

He touched his face, surprised. His hair was long like he never cut it in the four years he suddenly grew, and his nails were also long. The clothes were too tight now. Something happened to him... and he was able to avenge his mother. He smiled and laughed... and then covered his mouth. He laughed.

He jumped happily. He was never able to make a sound before, and he laughed. Somehow, he was able to laugh. He then caught sight of his mother and frowned. He wished she was here to see it. And he felt guilty that he was so happy for himself while his mother lie in pieces.

But not too guilty to stop celebrating his newfound voice.

The door opened, and Evan turned around. Two men stood at the door. "Dear God, we're too late!" One cried.

The other looked around. "What the hell happened here... holy shit, Tom, the demon's dead!"

The man, apparently Tom, walked inside. "Holy crap." He walked inside and then said, "Hey, kid? Are you okay?"

Evan nodded. The man at the door crossed his arms. "This stinks, Tommy. How is the demon dead... and how is the boy alive? Something's going on here!"

"What are you trying to suggest, Jim? Look at him!" Tom said, "He's frightened. He must be the woman's son." He walked over and hugged Evan tightly. "Can you tell me your name?" he said kindly.

Evan didn't like Jim and all his accusations, but he liked Tom immensely. He wrapped his arms around his neck and the completely unaware memory demon said his first word ever. "Evan."

*************

Matt rolled around in his bed, trying to exhaust himself. But no matter what he did, he never went to sleep. It just never came. He closed his eyes and snuggled up in his blanket, trying to fall into dreamland. It didn't work.

"You're one strange fellow." Matt opened his eyes and saw Adam crossing his arms. Adam wasn't willing to try to go back to sleep after the whole fiasco, but Matt was. Matt wanted to see if he could find Jeff again. And Christian, who got no sleep at all that night, told them he had to sleep or he'd die. "You've been spending the past few days trying not to sleep, and now here you are, trying to sleep."

"You should understand better than anyone," Matt said, sitting up, "You're an older brother too. What if this was the only connection you had with Christian?"

Adam sat down next to Matt and said, "Christian's still alive, Matt. And Jeff's been dead for about a year now. I assure you, you can't keep trying to get back in touch with Jeff. He wasn't even the real Jeff."

"I don't care," Matt said, "He's my brother. He helped me everytime things got hard. I need him."

"Always keep in mind that, when you chase shadows, you could lose what's real." Adam said.

Matt looked down, upset. "That's what Vickie said."

"Don't you see? If you keep trying to go after your brother's ghost, you'll lose yourself. You'll get more and more upset everytime it doesn't work. And you're after something you created," Adam said.

"I wish you weren't right," Matt said solemnly. Adam put his arm around Matt and held him close.

"Don't worry," Adam said, "Everything will be alright. Jeff... Jeff would want you to go on. And we do have to get back into action soon."

"Every time I think I'm over it, it turns out that I'm still stuck in that night..."

"I can't imagine seeing Christian... or you... dying in front of me," Adam said, "I don't think I would be able to take it. You're a better man than me." Adam tugged Matt up. "Come on. Christian promised to take you out to the city, remember? To get that DVD." He shook. "I swear, if _Evil Dead 2_ is anywhere near as fucked up as the first one, I swear I'll kill you."

Matt grinned. "Don't worry, it's not... as fucked up. And I know you won't kill me. You love me too much."

Adam sighed. "You have learned my deep dark secret, haven't you?" He stood ip. "Let's go get that other idiot."

**********

_Christian was walking on a beach. He recognized it well; he used to live near by here, when he was younger. Before demons meant anything to him. When he and Adam were raised by David Heath in the orphanage. David brought them here for picnics, and Christian would come here everytime he was mad. It was the most calming place in the world to him._

_He heard his name called out, and he looked down. Sitting in the sand, the waves hitting his feet every time they moved forward, was Matt. He smiled broadly and walked over. "It's so beautiful," Matt said, "Thanks for bringing me here."_

_"You remind me of here," Christian said._

_Matt laughed. "Why?"_

_"Because, you have the same effect on me this place does." Christian sat next to Matt and grabbed his hand. "You're so beautiful."_

_"You're so corny," Matt said, but he didn't pull his hand away._

"Christian!" Adam shook his brother. "Damn him for sleeping soundly."

"Maybe we should carry him into the middle of the swamp," Matt offered.

"He'd like that," Adam scoffed. Matt laughed and shook Christian.

"Come on, Christian, time for wakey," Matt said.

When that didn't work, Adam sighed. "That's it. Dogpile on Christian!" Suddenly, Matt was on top of Christian, sandwiched between him and Adam. Christian's eyes snapped open and he screamed. The scream made Matt scream, and then Adam screamed, and all three of them ended up on the floor.

Christian breathed. Oh God, he had the corniest dream ever. About Matt. And him. And then Matt was pressed against him. Did God hate him or something? That was just cruel.

"What the hell?" Adam said, hitting Christian.

"Nightmare?" Matt asked.

_No. I loved it. _"Totally," Christian said.

"After seeing the kind of nightmares Matt has, I doubt yours was any bad," Adam scoffed.

"Why the hell were you bastards in the room anyway?" Christian asked.

"Remember?" Matt said, "You promised. _Evil Dead 2. _I want it."

"When did you become a child again?" Adam asked.

"Leave him alone," Christian said, "You were the one who initiated a dogpile to wake me up."

"We're all overgrown children," Matt reasoned.

"Sad thing is, this is so very true," Adam sighed. "Christian, get dressed. Let's go."

"But we haven't had breakfast yet!" Christian pouted.

"We'll pick something up," Adam said.

Christian looked at Matt, who was picking himself up. Maybe one day he could bring him to that beach. Even if he couldn't tell him every thing, he wanted him to see it.

********

They ended up pulling over at a 7-Eleven. Matt and Christian got slushies and some chips, despite it being breakfast time. Adam shook his head as he got lemonade from the machine. "You two are lucky you're not fat."

"Only one of us is fat," Christian said, laughing at Adam.

"Go to hell." He looked at the cup. There was some blond wrestler on it. "Really? This is what they call a wrestler nowadays? I thought they were supposed to be big and beefy and scary. He looks fragile as shit. He should be fronting a band, not wrestling. And what's with the cheesy sleaze grin? Is he a rapist or something?"

"Stop being mean to the guy on the cup," Matt said.

Christian grabbed Matt's sleeve and tugged it. "Uh... Matt, Addy, I think you need to check this out."

"What?" They followed his gaze and saw the TV. They gasped... it was a breaking news report, and it was about the sudden destruction of the west coast.

"Holy shit," Matt said.

"You don't think..."

"I don't. I know it was Mark," Adam said, "He's lost control. This is not good."

"All those poor people," Matt said, "Why would he do something like this?"

"It has no purpose," Adam said, "Matt... I think he just did it because he was pissed off." They watched, sickened, by the entire spectacle's backlash: who knew the exact body count? California was the most populated state of them all- and it was totally leveled. The news anchor described the incident as a 'horrible earthquake'.

"How stupid can they get?" Matt asked, "An earthquake can't do all of that."

"You'll be surprised what the mind will make up to explain the unexplainable," Christian said.

"That's it," Adam said, "We have to get to Orton's house. Someone has to know what this means for us."

"Besides that we're all fucked?" Christian asked. He drank from his slushie. "Damn it, it's even souring this delicious drink."

Adam went to pay, and Christian breathed in. "I really hoped we wouldn't be seeing Randy for a while."

Matt thought about how nice it'd be to see Mickie again, and he just nodded. "Whatever it takes, huh?"

"Yup. Fucking earthquake..."

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	15. A Touch of Destiny

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for reviewing! This one feels like a transition chap, so I'm not going to dedicate it.**

**Warnings: Violence and some angst.**

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**Chapter Fifteen: A Touch of Destiny**

_"You would think the Demon Master could handle a single child."_

Raven tried to forget everything Maryse said, but it was coming to him at full force. Mark was losing his touch. And, although it'd be folly to underestimate any Nightstalker, especially Matt, Mark should've been able to bring Matt into their world finally.

_"You wouldn't have let them stop you from dragging the poor child home."_

Raven wondered if things would be different if he were in Matt's head instead of Mark. He could have put Matt into a nightmare... it would've been easy. And then they could get passed this chasing Nightstalkers bullcrap and start preparing the kid for his duties.

_"We don't need him anymore, not now that this Matthew child has shown up. He's a bungler, and we could start a new world order..."_

They didn't need him anymore, really. Now that Matt was getting to the point that he was practically a man, his powers would fully manifest sooner or later. And then Mark could die without any repercussions for the rest of the demons. No more mistakes from him. And then he goes and destroys the West Coast! What happened to controlled chaos?

_"Someone whose tired of taking orders from a buffoon. And I think you are, too."_

Raven hit the wall. He was tired of Mark. And if he got to Matt first... if he could make Matt trust him, trust him more than he could ever trust Mark... It was a long shot, considering that he killed his father and brother, but he had no doubt that he could pull it off. Matt was emotionally lost right now, Raven could feel it just by putting Mark in his head. And everyone was focused on making him more lost.

If Raven could give him the direction he was looking for, he knew he could at least be more trustworthy than Mark. Matt would never like him... well, Raven wasn't looking for that. But Matt would remember him when he took his place. And that was something Raven couldn't wait for.

_"Looks like the Master's on a temper tantrum. His reign is almost over, Raven. I just wonder whose side will you be on when he's finally on the ropes. It's up to you, Raven."_

Raven made up his mind then. He flashed out of the room he was in and appeared in a dark red room. Before he had a chance to do anything, he was suddenly against the wall, an arm pinning his neck to the wall.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" the demon growled.

"Relax buddy," Raven said, "It's me."

"I don't give a fucking damn. What do you want?"

"I heard you found Nightstalkers," Raven said casually.

"Yes. I'm going to attack them soon... and when I kill them, it will be my crowning achievement." He stared at him. "If you think you're going to steal Cena and Batista from me..."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Raven said, "But... I couldn't help but notice where they were. Wisconsin, eh? Such a kill would call any Nightstalkers in the area over..."

"Is there someone else over there I should know about?"

Raven grinned. "They'll be there sooner or later, I'm sure of it. Especially with the aftermath of the West Coast. I'm sure you'd be happy to add Adam and Christian to your belt..."

His eyes widened. "They... they will be there?" Raven nodded, and he put the Nightmare demon down. "Why wouldn't you take them yourself?"

"I'm after a prize of my own," Raven said, "And I know the soft spot you have for those two..."

He licked his lips. "Yes... Christian was so delicious... I bet Adam is too... oh, my boys..."

Raven put his hands together and concentrated. Two small vials appeared in his hands. "They're traveling with a brunette. I'll let you have the both of them, no fight from me, if you get this stuff into his system."

"Making dreams again?" he said curiously.

"It's so funny they call me the Nightmare demon, when I can make dreams just as easily," Raven chuckled. "But yes. I want him to have these dreams."

He took the vials and said, "He's the boy Master's after, isn't he?"

Raven smirked. "Yes."

"What's to stop me from capturing him and turning him in to Master myself?"

"He wants it this way," Raven lied, "He wants him to have these dreams. There's something to be said about willingly handing yourself over then being abducted. And he will turn himself over, I assure you."

He laughed. His laughter became more and more maniacal with each moment. Once he finally calmed down, he said, "I've been waiting for Adam and Christian for eleven years. I won't pass this opportunity up."

Raven slapped his back. "You will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams for this."

"For a Nightmare demon, you know very little about my dreams. If you did, you'd know all I need is my little ones back... so I can kill them."

Neither demon was aware that a female was watching carefully. She grinned and disappeared, appearing in front of her master. She bowed and the man, his face covered by bandages, nodded. "**Maryse, darling." **It would be a folly to say he was talking to her. Somehow, it was inside her, but no one else could hear it.

"Raven's ours," she said, "I'm sure of it."

"**Good." **The bandages made it unclear if it was so. Heck, she couldn't even tell if he was looking at her. But she knew a man of vision when she saw one... and he was a man of vision. "**So he will do as I thought he would?"**

"He gave another demon two dreams for little Matthew. I think he will." Maryse grinned. "All I had to do was flash Szatowski's eyes and he was putty in my hands."

"**Don't get cocky, my darling. Raven could still prove to stay loyal to Mark. And if that happens... we won't get Matt."**

Maryse waved her hands over her face, and her face and hair changed. She now had red hair and green eyes, and a much more American look. "I think I would do just fine."

A laugh filled her being, making her shiver. "**So arrogant. That's what makes you so special... or so disposable. You have to learn your place if you want to remain irreplaceable. And I assure you, only one person will bring him to us, and that's Raven. It's... destiny."**

"Forget destiny!" Maryse snapped, "We make our own fates!"

"**I think you forget... once you were a Canadian little girl who swore to me that she would never become a demon... and I answered that it was destiny. Remind me... who was right?"**

Maryse fumed, but she calmed down. He was right. He was always right. That's why she put her lot behind him. "Fine. What can Raven do that I can't, then?"

"**He can exploit every weakness in that support system. Matt's still so clueless... to his feelings and those around him's. And that's why he will ultimately go to Raven. Because by the time Raven's plot is done, Matt will be fully aware of who he is... and of the feelings that'll be his destruction." **His fingers tapped the side of the chair. "**One more thing... there's a new demon I need you to collect. But you must be very careful. He's very young, very volatile, and very powerful.**"

"Who?" Maryse asked.

"**An eight year old boy... Evan's his name... get to him and bring him to me. I'm sure a woman of your charms could easily work her magic on this child.**"

"You want me to seduce him?"

"**Don't be silly, my darling... don't be silly. Just bring him to me as soon as possible. In the future I see... our Matt will trust Evan above all other demons. We need him.**"

"Right away, master."

*************

The trip to Wisconsin seemed long and tiresome. After hearing about the West Coast, Matt, Adam, and Christian had zero patience with the car ride. They just wanted to find out what they had to do, how to do it, and anything else that could possibly help.

Mark destroyed the West Coast for what reason? What happened to holding back? Adam said that Mark wouldn't send his strongest out in fear that bloodlust would make it go on a rampage. So why the hell would he destroy it?

It brought into mind the fact that Matt might not have a lot of just fun days with them. How did a simple trip for breakfast and a gruesome DVD turn into another mission? Yes, Matt wasn't going to give up, but life as he knew it was over.

He just couldn't see it anymore. What would he do after he killed Mark and Raven? A new demon master would come, and a new Nightmare demon, along with a whole cadre of other baddies. Matt couldn't just decide to sit back and relax while everyone else in the world suffered. It just wasn't in him. He would hunt, probably until the day he was too old to hunt anymore.

Maybe, for one day, they could argue like a bunch of kids without a worry in the world. Because Matt knew they were about to plunge into the deep end.

********

The door opened, and Grisham bowed to them. "Mr. and Mrs. Orton have been expecting you." They walked inside and Grisham led them to the sitting room. Randy was sitting down, reading a paper. He looked up and smiled condescendingly.

"They finally arrive. Grisham, please alert my wife to the fact they've arrived." Grisham left and Randy shook each of their hands. "This looks bad."

"It does," Christian said, without saying thanks for stating the obvious. "We want to check in with everyone, figure out what we're needed for."

"Of course. Let's get to the phone." As they walked to the phone, they met up with Mickie. She smiled broadly and hugged each of them, holding onto Matt a little longer to whisper in his ear.

"Thank God. I thought I was going to die of bimbo talk. Ask to go on a tour."

"Wha..." Mickie turned and grinned. "Honey, Matt's never seen our house! Can I take him on a tour?"

"Whatever you wish, darling," Randy said, kissing her cheek.

Mickie grabbed Matt's hand and pulled him away from them. As soon as they were far enough away, Mickie said, "So, I get a call from Melina Hennigan today... you know, the actress? Well, we've been planning a Gala for a long time. Well, I'm in shock over the catastrophe over in the West, and you know what she says? 'We could make the Gala into a benefit for the victims' families, you know? It'll make the event a hit! Lucky us no one important was over there'."

"What?" Matt said, shocked.

"I know," Mickie answered, "Who talks like that about the dead? But you know, can't rock the boat, so I say 'Oh, darling, that's a lovely idea. How's your Johnny?'" Mickie shook her head. "Shoot me now, Matt, because I can't believe I'm putting up with this."

"No way," Matt said, "I like you alive."

"I like me alive too," she said, "But damn... who cares about parties and being at a hit party when thousands are dead?" She wrapped her arm around his chest. "I really needed someone to vent to. I was sickened."

"Heck, I'm sickened just hearing about it," Matt said. "Come on, show me the house, and we could talk more."

Mickie grinned. "You're an awesome person, Mr. Hardy."

********

Randy watched his wife walk away with Matt, lustily keeping his eyes on Mickie's ass. "She's quite a woman," he said, "A real find. The heir to Stratigas Irons... she's their adopted daughter. Her sister, Patricia... she was absolutely perfect as well. You should've seen her. Too bad the poor thing died before her time."

Christian shook his head. Mickie had to be a saint to put up with... that. They got to the phone and Adam started dialing Punk. He didn't pick up. Then, he tried Rob, and then Tommy. Neither picked up their phones. He was running out of options... shit. "Call Kevin!" Christian said.

"We can't call Kevin!" Adam hissed.

"Well, we can't call Hunter, that's for sure. You tried Steve?"

"Let me see..." Steve didn't pick up either.

"Call Kevin!" Christian said.

"You call Kevin, damn you!" Adam said.

"Fine." Christian snatched the phone and dialed Kevin's number. The phone rang, and then he heard. "Well I'll be damned."

"Who is it, Scott?"

"Hey Kev, it's the AWOLS." Scott made the tsking sound, and they heard Kevin curse. "I should snitch you two out to Hunter now. He's been trying to get to you for a long time. Where's your damn cell?"

"Broken," he said honestly.

"Why didn't you replace it?"

"Look, Scott, there's something more important happening here," Christian said, "What's going on with the West Coast?"

"This conversation's not done, Christian," Scott warned, "But you're right. A bunch of people are working on keeping it quiet, and any demons trying to capitalize off the chaos. It might be best for you two to go meet Hunter and Shawn in North Dakota."

"We can't!" Adam said.

"We had to face them sooner or later," Christian said.

"What about Matt?"

"I don't know, okay?" Christian snapped, covering the mouthpiece with his hand, "But we can't keep ducking them like they're the IRS." He moved his hand. "We'll be there."

"Good. And you will have to explain going missing, you know. If not to me, then Hunter will."

"I understand, Scott." Christian said. He looked at Adam and shrugged. What were they supposed to do? Hunter and Shawn knew where they lived, and they could find them at any time. "I'm going to let you go. Adam sends his best."

"Yeah right. Adios." The phone hung up, and Christian turned to Adam.

"It could've been worse. If it was Kevin, he would've lectured us. Whelp, I guess we're heading to North Dak-" The phone suddenly rang. Christian and Adam exchanged glances.

"You don't think Kevin called Hunter, do you?" Adam asked.

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"Should we answer the phone?"

"Rock paper scissors, loser answers," Christian said. They hit their fists on their hands three times, and Christian threw out a scissors. Adam threw out rock. "Shit." He answered the phone and said, "Christian here."

"Hello Christian."

"Vickie?" Christian asked, surprised, "How did you know... oh right, stupid question. What's up?"

Vickie paused, but then she said, "Matt cannot participate in your next hunt."

"Why not?" Christian asked.

"I can't say, but it's important. If Matt gets involved, a chain of events will begin that none of you can prevent from happening. Matt cannot get involved in your next hunt." The phone hung up, and Christian wanted to throw it at the wall. She could've at least given a better explanation.

"Matt's not going to like this," Christian said.

"Matt's not going to like what?" Christian and Adam looked at the door. Mickie and Matt were standing there, and Matt was looking at them, confused.

*********

"What?" Matt looked from Christian to Adam, upset. "What do you mean, you're dropping me off in Virginia? No way. I'm going to North Dakota with you."

"Vickie said you can't," Christian said.

"Really, this wasn't our idea," Adam said.

"You can't leave me there!" Matt shouted, "It's not fair!"

Christian put a hand on his friend's... his Matt's... shoulder. "Now you know how I felt when I couldn't go into the dream with you. There's a reason for this..."

"That's not the same and you know it! You're going to leave me there and I won't know if you guys are alive or dead..."

"We're going to come back," Adam said, "Don't worry about it. You just can't be part of our next hunt or something bad will happen."

"Fucking ridiculous." Matt sat in the backseat.

"We're really sorry," Adam said.

"Whatever." Adam shook his head and pushed Matt further into the car.

"Look, Matt, just take it like it is." Christian went to the front wheel, and Adam said, "I wish things could be different, but they can't be."

They began driving, and Matt crossed his arms and glared at Adam the whole way. Like if it was all his fault that he couldn't go to North Dakota with them. Finally, Adam snapped. "THIS IS NOT MY FAULT, MATT!"

"This is so unfair and you know it! You would never let us leave you with a paper thin excuse like 'something bad is going to happen'! What is the something bad? If she's a fucking seer, couldn't she tell you that?"

"Matt, stop taking it out on Addy-di-"

"CHRISTIAN, WATCH THE ROAD!" Adam yelled. Christian looked ahead and saw a figure, a human figure, in front of them. Christian turned, and the car drove off the road and hit the guardrail. They all slammed forward, since none of them used seat belts, and there was complete silence for a moment.

Matt opened his eyes and touched his head. Except for a head-splitting headache, he was perfectly fine... although if it weren't for the guardrail, they would've been sent down a pretty steep hill. "Adam?"

"I'm fine..." He touched his head, also dealing with a headache, and felt something sticky. He was bleeding. "Christian?"

"I take back every mean thing I said about seatbelts." Christian looked up. He had a bruise and a shocked expression, but was otherwise alright. "Holy fucking shit." Christian got out of the car. "I'm going to go check on that guy. Stay here." Christian ran off, and Adam opened the car door.

"Come on, Matt," Adam said. They got out of the car. "Fucking shit, that hurt."

"You're bleeding," Matt said.

"I'm aware of the fact." Adam put his hand over the wound. "I'll be fine. I've been hurt worse."

"Hey, he's gone!" Christian shouted out.

"What do you mean, gone?" Matt shouted back.

"I mean, gone! Completely! I don't see him!"

"Where the hell could he have..." Suddenly, Adam was raised in the air, his neck being held by a man's strong hand. He was struggling for breath, and Matt reached for his gun, but suddenly, he was filled with pain. He bent down on one knee and grabbed his shirt, gasping.

"Don't move too much," Adam's captor said silkily, "Your blood's boiling right now, threatening to kill you. Make it easy on yourself." He turned to Adam. "I despise Christian's haircut. How could you let him get rid of his beautiful hair?"

Adam couldn't believe it. He never expected to find him here. "Finally, you're all mine," Gangrel said, licking his lips. He pulled Adam close and bit his neck, making him scream.

Matt moved his hand frantically, looking for his gun. He had to do something, even though his body was working against him. Finally, he grabbed it and shakily aimed it at the demon.

The bullet, instead of hitting it's intended mark, hit his leg, but it alleviated Matt's pain and made him drop Adam. Adam fell on his ankle, making a disgusting breaking sound that filled Matt's ears. Matt stood up, but, before he could shoot again, Gangrel snatched the gun and threw it over the side of the guardrail. He grabbed Matt's arm and said, "You don't have the right to cut in between a family reunion."

He threw him against the car, knocking Matt's breath out. Matt tried to move away, but Gangrel was on him in a minute. He bit Matt's neck and began drinking his blood. Matt struggled, then finally pushed his leg as powerfully as possible into his stomach. Gangrel's teeth ripped out of Matt's neck, making blood gush out.

Matt ran over to Adam, pushing his hand into the wound on his neck. "Where's your gun?"

"My ankle... broken..."

"Adam, your gun!" Matt shouted.

Gangrel, meanwhile, was in disbelief. The bullet popped out of his leg and it healed instantly. He felt completely refreshed just by the small sips he took of Matt's blood. He stood up and held out his hand, making Matt's blood slow.

Matt's eyes widened and he staggered forward. Adam screamed, and Matt flipped over the guardrail. Matt rolled a few feet down, getting cut by rocks and bumps, before a large rock stopped his decent.

A loud bang filled his ears, and there stood Christian, pointing his gun at Gangrel. The bullet tore through Gangrel's shoulder, and he turned around. "Dad?" Christian choked. Gangrel grinned and disappeared into the night.

Christian ran up to Adam and started helping him to the car. He laid Adam out in the back and said, "Matt?"

"Down there..." Christian ran to the guardrail and saw how rocky the hill was. If Matt was alive, he was lucky. But there was no way Christian could go down there and bring him up without killing himself and Matt in the process.

"We have to get down there..." Christian looked ahead. Half of him wanted to try and climb anyway, all for Matt. He didn't want to leave Matt there alone. But the other half knew that it would be suicide, and that wouldn't be good for either Matt or him.

"We have to drive around to there," Christian said, "We can't climb down." He shook his head. Hopefully, Matt would only be laying there for a minute or so.

************

Victoria Crawford and Eve Torres were sitting in the back of Steven Lewington's car after a Mixer over in Madison. They were driving back to their dorms over at Whiteford college. Sitting in the front with Steven was Jake Hager, and Steven put Eve on a blind date with him. And he wished she hadn't gone, because he was an arrogant asswipe who was the head of the fraternity Steven was in. He liked bragging about his All-American status and his stupid wins on the wrestling team and whatnot.

"Hey..." Eve looked up and saw someone stumbling off the rocks.

"He's insane!" Steven said, watching carefully. "He could kill himself there!"

"Pull over," Victoria ordered. Steve did and Jake lowered his window.

"Hey, crazy!" Matt looked up and Jake, and Jake and Steve breathed in. There were small little cuts and bruises all over his body, besides the gaping wound on his neck.

"Holy shit." Eve opened the door and said, "Get in! We'll drive you to a hospital!"

"I... no thanks!" Matt said. Where was Adam and Christian?

"Don't be stupid." Eve got out of the car and began pushing him in. "You need medical attention immediately." He sat inbetween Victoria and Eve and, before he could protest further, Steven was already driving away.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	16. Fright Night

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Thanks for reviewing! This one's for LightLifeHardy. The review for chap 13 was really nice, and it made me feel a lot better about my authorial skills.**

**Warnings: Violence and some angst.**

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**Chapter Sixteen: Fright Night**

Rey opened the door after hearing loud, desperate knocking, and was immediately pushed out of the way. "Move, Jumping Bean," Steve said gruffly. He marched inside, a fire in his eyes. Chavo and Vickie saw him, and Chavo was confused, but Vickie remained calm. "Hello Austen," she said.

Austen grabbed her by the throat and pushed her against the wall. Chavo immediately went into action and put a gun to his head. Rey came soon and he, too, pointed a gun at his head. "How could you, you little bitch?" Austen asked.

"Put her down, ese," Rey said.

"How could you?" Austen repeated, louder and more anger dripping off his voice.

"Put my Aunt down or I will empty my clip in your head!" Chavo shouted.

Vickie shook her head. "Boys, put the guns down. And Chavito, please don't argue with Austen about language. It's a fight you will lose."

"But Aunt Vickie-"

"Down," Vickie said. Chavo and Rey put down their guns hesitantly, and she looked at Austen. "You won't be satisfied with my answer. You never are."

"Forget what you did to Dwayne and I for now," Steve said, "Matt's just a child. He had a right to know..."

"I can't outright change important events in the future," Vickie said, "I have to maintain the balance in the world. I can only warn without giving so much away-"

"He had a right to know!" Steve squeezed her neck harder. "You knew, you knew everything, just like you always do. But you play fucking God and choose who gets to know what..."

Vickie shook her head. "I wish I could tell him, Christian, and Adam everything," she managed to squeal out, "But I can't. Just like I couldn't tell you that, if you chased Marcus Calloway, Dwayne would die. I told you- do not hunt him. You did not listen."

Steve dropped her. "You could've told us."

"I can't change the future," she said, rubbing her neck, "Raven will be the one to tell Matt who he is, just like you were to find out Dwayne and Jim had to die when you, them, and Jerry hunted down Marcus." She shook her head. "Besides, he already knows."

"No he doesn't," Steve said, "I talked to him just a few weeks ago. He doesn't know."

Vickie shook her head. "To know something and to accept it are two different things. And Matt knows. He just hasn't accepted it yet, so he hasn't acknowledged it. But when Raven shows him, he'll know."

"No," Steve said, "No. We can't leave him at Raven's mercy. He's a fucking sadist, Vickie. We have to tell him..."

"It's too late, even if I could," Vickie said, "Gangrel is attacking the boys and Cena and Batista as we speak. And Gangrel's given Matt Raven's present." She looked away. "I wish I could've done something more. But understand- Matt has a destiny. Only way to escape is to kill him. And we might get someone worse. No, this is the best thing for the balance."

"What do we do if Matt gets twisted?" Steve asked, "What if he becomes evil?"

Vickie nodded. "It is possible. But that's where Christian and Adam come in. So long as he has them, he will remain who he is."

Steve sat down. "Where are they? I could help, somehow, I just need to get there-"

"It's too late to help with Gangrel. You should wait in Richmond, in Virginia. Use your FBI agent cover. Make sure you're notified when Adam and Christian's car is found in a no parking zone."

Steve's brow furrowed. "Why?"

"You'll understand from there," Vickie said.

Steve kicked the couch. "Fuck the balance. If I could get some fucking clear cut instructions-"

"You can't." Vickie smiled. "And next time you choke me like that, I'm going to let Chavito and Rey shoot you."

"For a speaks-in-riddles bitch, you've got balls," Steve said, smirking.

***********

"Just so we're sure, I blame you," Christian said, driving the car. Adam snarled.

"I have a broken ankle and I'm bleeding from my neck. I think I deserve a break," he said.

"Your hand wasn't broken. You could've used your gun."

"You didn't use yours either," Adam snapped back, "You had him in your sight too. Neither of us could..." Adam looked down. "I thought I'd be able to keep my mind on the idea that he's no longer Dad. That he's a demon now. But I took one look at him... and I was a little kid again."

"I know what you mean," Christian said. He rubbed his neck, remembering when he was younger, when Gangrel attacked him- when he would've killed him, if it not for Shawn and Hunter. "But, damn it, Matt's gone. What the hell happened to him?"

"Well, we know he didn't walk away," Adam said, "So either he has him, or someone else has him. If we keep driving this way, we'll eventually find him."

Christian peered ahead and saw two figures. He squinted and realized he recognized them. "Wait... is that... no way..."

"Don't stop for those freaking hitchhikers," Adam said, "We don't have time-" Christian pulled over and opened the door. And suddenly, there were two guns in his face. He blinked.

"Okay," Christian said, "Let's not shoot me." Adam's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"John? Dave?" Adam said.

"Adam?" Cena and Batista said, confused.

"And I'm Christian," Christian said, "So now that the introductions are out of the way, why don't we put the guns out of poor, innocent Christian's face and figure out what the hell you were planning to do with those guns?"

Cena and Batista lowered their guns. "Blood demon crashed the car," Cena said, "Total wreck. Dave was about to become his dinner when he smelled something else and was gone."

"That'd be me, meatball," Adam said, raising his hand.

"Hey! Watch your mouth, cripple," Cena retorted.

"Back to the topic of your plan with those guns...?" Christian interrupted.

"Oh, right." Batista blushed a little. "Well, we..."

"We were going to jack your car," Cena said.

Christian looked at him. "What?"

"We would've returned it," Batista said.

"We just needed it to catch the Blood Demon," Cena said, "And it would've came back, safe and sound."

"Liars," Adam said. "You would've just crashed another car and left innocent people stranded where the demon could find them."

"No," Cena snapped back, "He was after us. It's part of the hunt is on for Nightstalkers thing."

"Aren't we arrogant?" Adam teased.

"Shut up!" Christian shook his head. "Get in, losers. We have someone to find."

"Who?" John asked.

"Never mind," Christian said. "Now, get in." Dave and John looked at each other, and both scrambled to get the passenger seat. Dave sat down first and chuckled as John went to the backseat.

He looked at Adam, who smirked. "I'm so going to make you my bitch tonight."

*************

Eve pushed a rag into Matt's wound, and her nails really dug into his skin. He almost wanted to pull away, but there was a warmth when her hands were there, and, despite the feeling of nails digging into him, it felt kind of nice.

"So where are you from, crazy?" Jake said.

Steven slapped him. "Come on, Jake. Obviously something happened to him. Try a little tact."

"Alright, sorry. If you don't mind, tell us where you're from, crazy," Jake said. Steven glared at him, but Matt said, "Out of town."

"Cool," Victoria said, "So, I'm Tori, and that's my girl Eve. Up front's my boyfriend Steven and his friend Jake. You are?"

"Matt," he said, "So... how far's the hospital?" Translation from drunk teens who have nothing to do with Nightstalkers lingo to English: how long until I'm able to run from you people?

"Not sure," Steven said, "We'll find one, though. If anything, we could go to the campus nurse."

Suddenly, Matt felt something that made his whole body shake. He turned around and looked at Eve, but she was determined not to look into his eyes. Then, a low squelching sound came from his neck. What the hell just happened?

"You fucking faggot son of a bitch!" Jake slapped Steven. "Dude, you didn't load up on gas?"

"If your ass wasn't at the wet t-shirt contest when me and the girls were ready to leave, we'd have enough," Steven said, glaring at him.

"Don't blame the wet t-shirt contest for this," Jake said, "That is blameless."

"Pig," Victoria said.

"You love it, baby," he said, making a kissy noise.

"You do that to my girlfriend again..."

"What're you going to do, Steven? Dance me to death?" Jake asked. Matt shook his head. People in college weren't like this when he went. He might not have gone for long, but they weren't like Jake. Maybe he's just a dick.

They got to a self service gas station (there were a few more arguments, and Jake acted like a dick most of the way) and Steven, Victoria, and Jake got out of the car. Steven put some money in the machine before pulling out the nozzle and filling up the tank. Victoria kissed Steve's cheek and said, "Anyone want snacks?"

"Doritos, baby," Steve said. She grinned and said, "Anyone else?"

"Some M&Ms," Eve called out, "And twinkies."

"I'd like some Pringles," Jake said.

"Well, too bad, you're not getting anything," Victoria said. She turned around, whipping her hair in his direction. She walked into the gas station store and Jake shook his head.

"She's really hot. Too bad she's such a bitch."

"Shut up," Steven said angrily. Eve watched the scene from inside the car, shaking her head. She tried to remember who set her up with Jake, because she was going to kill him.

Matt pushed her away, and she looked at him angrily, but he pulled away the rag. The wound on his neck was gone. "What the hell did you do?" he snapped.

Eve pushed the rag back into his neck and pinched him hard. Matt shouted out and she said, "Shut up. You're too loud."

"What, your friends don't know..." She pinched him again. "OW! Stop that, you insane lady!"

"Keep your voice down," she said, "And no, they don't know. I don't want them to." She shook her head. "They'd think I'm a freak... or crazy."

"If you could prove it, which you obviously can, why would they think you're crazy?" Matt asked, "And who cares what they think? This is a gift."

"I do!" Eve hissed, "I care, because I don't want to be a science experiment! I just want to live a normal life!"

"Then why did you heal me?" Matt asked.

She looked away. "It looked really bad... I wanted to help."

"Thanks," Matt said, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, it's just... forget it. Thanks."

"No problem." Eve grabbed his hand and pressed it into the wound. "Keep my secret, please."

"I will," Matt said. Eve smiled and walked over to Steven.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"I think he needs a lot more help than we're giving him, and we've all got some alcohol in us- Jake too much," Steven shook his head, "I hope nothing gets infected on the guy."

************

Victoria looked around to find a worker, but there was no one there. "Hello?" she shouted out. "Is anyone here?" She looked around, trying to find anyone to take her money for the purchases. When she found no one, she shrugged; might as well leave with them, right?

But she couldn't. Her grandmother always told her that stealing was wrong, and that stealers were the worst people in the world. So, she decided to leave money on the counter. It wasn't stealing if you did that... right?

She put her money down, and then she gasped. Laying on the floor was the counter boy- pale as can be and dead. She was about to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her head up, exposing her neck.

The last thing she knew was the feeling of fangs plunging into her neck.

************

Steven finished filling the tank and looked around. "Where's Tori?" he asked.

"Probably taking a dump," Jake said.

"Uh, ew," Eve said.

"I'm sorry, sweetcheeks. She's probably relieving herself. Better?"

"No," Eve said, "I'm not your sweetcheeks." She turned to Steven. "Let's go look for her. We should get going... Matt needs help." Eve and Steven began walking to the store, and Steven said, "Jake! Stay with Matt!"

"Why should I stay with crazy?" Jake asked.

"Because I said so, meathead. Now stay!" As they walked away, Jake walked over to Matt.

"No offense, crazy, it's just... you know?" he asked.

"Not really," Matt said.

"Whatever." Jake went to the front and pulled out a bottle of beer. "Want some?"

"No thanks," Matt said.

"You're a downer," Jake took a swig. "What, full sentences not your bag?"

"You haven't really said anything worth a full sentence," Matt said.

"Tooch." Matt looked at him, confused. "You know, tooch? As in, good comeback?"

"I think you mean touche," Matt said. "As in, too-shea. Not tooch."

"No, It's spelled tooch."

"You're a moron," Matt said under his breath. Then, they heard Eve scream. Matt and Jake began running to the store, and they found Eve with her head in her hands and Steven with his arms around Victoria, telling her to wake up.

"Shit," Matt said, looking at her. Gangrel was here. "Get to the car," he said, suddenly business.

Eve turned and looked at him, cheeks wet with tears. "How could you order us around?" she asked.

"Why do you think, idiot?" Jake asked, "Obviously, the dude who did this shit is still here." Just when you thought Jake had no point, he made the most sense out of all of them.

"I'm not leaving Tori," Steven said stubbornly, as Matt led Eve out.

"Well then you get to DIE with Tori!" Jake shouted, "Get up!" He pulled Steven up and pulled him away.

"Let me go!" Steven shouted. Jake shook his head, turned Steven around, and slapped him.

"SNAP OUT OF IT! I don't want to die!" Matt heard something, and realized Gangrel was a lot closer than any of them thought.

"JAKE! STEVEN! GET OUT!" Matt ran inside just in enough time for the doors to close, trapping them inside. Eve stared in horror and tried to pull the door open, but it couldn't. She looked around and decided to try and find help. She ran away, and Jake thought she was running for safety. He really couldn't blame her.

Jake and Steven looked at each other, afraid, as Matt reached down into his boot and pulled out a knife. "What the hell?" Jake said, shocked.

"Where the hell are you, Gangrel?" Matt shouted out.

"Little Matthew, all alone with two invalids... you must be so afraid..."

"Leave them out of this!" Matt shouted, "You don't want them!"

"Don't want you either. But I could tell... my boys _love _you... they'd be willing to give themselves for you... give themselves to me..."

"You hurt Christian or Adam, I'll kill you," Matt snapped.

"They belong to me... and _you_... you're my Master's... I wonder what Mark wants you for... might be that _delicious _blood of yours... I'm craving another taste..."

"Fuck you," Matt snapped. He moved closer to Jake and Steven, trying to protect them both from the eventual attack. But holding only a knife didn't make his chances seem so good. Especially with all Gangrel could do.

"Aw, little Matthew thinks he can protect them." A sick laugh filled the room. "I wonder... how will you react... when I kill them right in front of your eyes."

Suddenly, Steven began grasping his chest, gasping and sputtering. His face grew red as he fell onto his knees. Jake jumped back in fear. "Matthew, watch him. His blood's boiling. His lungs will begin to sear soon, and then his organs will overheat... and he will die."

"Stop this!" Matt shouted. But it was too late. Steven's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell face first on the floor, dead.

"And for all your training, you couldn't stop him," Gangrel taunted.

"Show yourself!" Matt shouted. "Face me! Face me!"

"Why should I do that? I have another friend to play with... how should blondie die? Should I slow his blood and make his heart stop? Should I make his blood boil, just like I did the other boy's? Or maybe..." He chuckled. "Maybe you could kill him for me."

Matt's hand began shaking, and he turned to Jake. The hand that held the knife raised, as if on it's own, and he began walking towards Jake unwillingly. "Jake, run," Matt said, as he walked closer.

"Where would he go, Matthew? With all your training... you'd just catch him." Matt moved closer and closer to Jake, who raised his hands.

"Listen cray- Matt. Don't do this. You don't have to. Please, I don't want to die. Please!"

"I'm sorry," Matt said. He gritted his teeth and tried to fight the compulsion that made him walk closer. He couldn't. He kept looming nearer and nearer. He tried again, and then, he just stopped moving all together. He couldn't move away, just staying still took all the energy in Matt's body.

"No, puppet. I said move." Matt squeezed his eyes shut as the compulsion grew. If he didn't do something, he was going to kill Jake.

"Hit me..." Matt whispered. Jake nodded and ran up, punching Matt hard across the face. Matt stumbled to the floor and felt his control slip back. Then, Jake bent down- and began squeezing Matt's neck. Matt's hands flew up to Jake's and tried to pull them off. He pulled them off and kicked Jake in the solar plexus, knocking him off. But Jake, under

"He's not as strong as you, Matthew. I can control him easily. And I assure you... You're going to kill him," Gangrel said smugly, "One way or another, you're going to kill him."

*************

Eve ran out into the street, screaming bloody murder. She continued screaming until she couldn't anymore. Then, she saw a car. "Help!" Her voice was hoarse, but she spat it out as best as possible. "Help!"

The car pulled over, and Christian said, "What's the matter?"

"Something killed my friend... he's after my other friends now... The gas station store..."

"Gangrel," Dave said.

Christian got out of the car. "Dave, come on! John... stay here with Adam and the girl!" Dave also got out and they both ran up. Cena, who Adam bullied by putting his feet on his lap (Cena couldn't move them because of Adam's ankle), pulled out his gun and said, "Don't worry. Everything's going to be alright."

Eve hoped so, but she doubted it.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	17. Absolution

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Sorry for the confusion, but the Victoria from our group of teens was Alicia Fox, and Steven was DJ Gabriel (is he still with the WWE? What happened to him?). Maybe I should've called them Alicia and Gabriel, since I used neither name. Eve is Eve and Jake is Swagger. **

**So, thanks for the reviews, and this chapter's dedicated to Bernarde. I hope you like it.**

**Warnings: Violence, angst, death... as per usual.**

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**Chapter Seventeen: Absolution**

Evan was angrier than he ever thought he could be.

How could Tommy, such a nice man, drop him off at this horrible place? He looked at him and told him that he couldn't stay with them, that he and Jim do dangerous things and they couldn't take Evan with them, and that this place would be, in the long run, best for him. His dumb partner Jim probably forced him to. Such an awful person. Who would question a child after all he's gone through, after his mom was killed before his eyes? Did it really matter who killed the demon, so long as he was dead?

Evan got out of his bed and walked down the hall to the lunchroom. Two guys were fighting, ripping each other for all they were worth over a girl who would probably leave on the arm of the winner. She was screaming for them to destroy each other.

A pair of girls were leaning against the wall, talking about a guy who the blond one was dating, who she would make get her whatever she wanted. And since everyone here had almost nothing, he usually resorted to stealing for her. And she felt no guilt, manipulating him.

A pair of bullies, much like the ones Evan dealt with at home, were attacking this kid who didn't stand a chance against one of them, much less two. He kind of reminded Evan of himself... Except his mother wasn't there to save him.

No one had mothers here.

Evan didn't have a mother anymore.

Everyone here was like Jim, like the bullies who tormented him... Like the demon who stole his mother from him.

Evan watched it all, growing angrier and angrier. Why should they get to live when his mother was dead? Why should they get to breathe when his mother wasn't? Did they deserve it?

That night, Evan stared at himself in the mirror in the communal bathroom. He didn't look the same; it was as if his new age was slipping away, like he was becoming the old Evan again. The Evan who couldn't speak. The Evan who was pushed around, who was nothing and nobody.

He didn't want to be nobody.

He remembered how he got older, how he got his voice the first time. He could do it again. There were people here who deserved to be nobodies. It wasn't fair. Evan had the power to make it fair.

He had power.

Evan walked out of the bathroom and walked to the boys room. He looked around at all the sleeping faces. In their faces he saw selfishness, he saw cruelty, he saw manipulation, he saw self destruction. They were spiraling into their own coffins anyway. Evan would be doing a favor to whoever he chose. And he'd be saving all the innocent people they'd drag down with them.

He walked over to the bully from earlier. He reminded Evan of his own bully. He thought he could do whatever he pleased because he was stronger, bigger? No one would miss him. If they knew Evan got rid of him, they would thank him.

Evan grabbed his cheeks and pushed his lips into the bully's, absorbing the memories. His eyes opened and he flailed, but the feeling of his essence being ripped away was too crippling.

Evan pulled away as the color left his face. He jumped away, shaking his head in horror, as the bully's memories flickered through his mind. His name was Connor Navaros, and his father was an alcoholic. He shoved a lit cigarette into Connor's skin whenever he was late, even by a minute, from school. He never had a mother. Connor was beaten to the point of death when his neighbors finally got the strength to call the police on Mr. Navaros.

Monsters, it seemed, weren't only born, like the one who took his mother. They were also created.

He felt a shiver and turned around. Behind him was a woman, the most stunningly beautiful woamn he ever saw. Her beauty made him look down in shame. "I didn't mean to..." Evan said, feeling tears well in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

She walked to him and put a hand under his chin. She lifted it up and said, "You're eight?" He nodded, not understanding what that had to do with anything. Wasn't she supposed to yell at him for killing another person? "You look _old_, kid," she said, pulling her hand away. And he did; Evan now looked fourteen, at least. "But you're cute. What's with the hair? Going for the rockstar look? Doesn't really fit your features."

"I... I don't understand," Evan said, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"About him?" she pointed at Connor, who looked like death itself, completely cold and gone. "From what I saw, he was a jackass."

"But... he was still a person..." Evan sniffled, "His father, he hurt him..."

"And now he's stuck in a place that's not even fit for rats." The woman winked. "Seems to me like you did him a favor." She hugged him. "Life sucks, Evan. What would he have to live for if he lived? In and out the foster system, then the prison system. He'd have never finished high school and he would've had to work at a dead end job. You set Connor free."

"I... did?" Evan asked.

The angelic woman nodded. "And now, I want to set you free. I can make life better for you. Will you come with me?"

Evan nodded. "Anywhere." Just being near her made him feel better, feel loved. Maybe he did do the kid a favor. He helped him find absolution. He set him free. "Who are you?"

"My name's Maryse. And I'm here to save you."

**************

Jake shook as he lunged at Matt. Matt moved out of the way, looking for where Gangrel was. "What?" Matt shouted, "Too afraid to face me? Need a frat boy to do your work for you?"

Gangrel's laugh filled the store. "Why should I waste my time on you? I'm waiting for the real prize here... Christian told you what happened the last time he and I were together, didn't he?"

As he ducked Jake, Matt angrily remembered the story Adam told him. Christian was only ten, and this shadow of his father wrapped his hands around his neck. After seeing Gangrel choke Adam, it wasn't hard for Matt to imagine. Christian, his best friend, young and confused and scared as Gangrel threatened to drink him dry.

He wanted to kill him right there, before Christian came looking for him. Like he and Adam always did. Adam was hurt, but Christian- he'd come here just like Gangrel wanted, and he'd deliver himself into the demon's hands.

"Come on, Matthew," Gangrel taunted, as Jake loomed closer, "He's going to hurt you. Do something."

Matt found his back against the wall, and then he decided he had to fight. He didn't have to kill Jake, but he had to fight. He put the knife into his pocket and then rushed Jake, tackling him to the floor. They hit the ground with a thud, and Matt grabbed the sides of Jake's head. He lifted it and rammed it into the floor, elicting a groan from him.

Next thing he knew, Jake turned the tables, and he was on top of Matt. He grabbed Matt's wrist and twisted it. Matt screamed in agony as the sound of cracking filled the air. "I can't kill you... oh, but I can make you hurt so badly, Matthew. Can you feel your bones contorting in ways they shouldn't?"

Matt bit his lip and worked his legs under Jake, to knock him off. He sprawled away and Matt looked at his hand. It wasn't broken, but it still hurt like a bitch. How was he supposed to stop Jake and not hurt him at the same time?

Suddenly, Gangrel jumped down. Matt turned around and pulled out his knife, but then Jake's arm was around his neck. He choked as Jake dragged him to the counter, laying him down on it. "Showtime," he said, licking his lips, "Can you feel him coming, Matt? Just like I said he would?"

_Christian... _Matt looked at Jake, who took his knife from his pocket and pushed it against his neck. He froze, feeling the cold metal right against his Adam's apple. Although Gangrel said he wouldn't kill him... accidents have been known to happen. Gangrel moved away from the door, grinning, as Matt saw Christian and a big guy run to the door.

Christian took one look at him and his eyes widened. Matt realized what this might look like to him, and that Jake was in danger. But there was nothing he could do, not without killing himself.

Christian and the big guy pointed their guns at the door, shooting the glass. It cracked, and the big guy pushed through the glass with his shoulder. He got through, and Christian ran in. He pointed the gun at Jake and yelled, "Put the knife down!"

"Chri-" The knife pushed closer to his throat, making a thin slice. He could feel his blood on his neck, slowly making a thin trail. Matt saw Christian falter, and he mentally sighed in relief. He was too worried about Matt dying first that he didn't shoot. But he still didn't know Gangrel was in the room...

Then, Jake moved, attacking the big guy. Matt's eyes widened; one of them was going to kill him. Dave, caught off guard, lost his gun, and Jake kept throwing himself at him, so he won't grab it again. As Dave fought, Christian ran over to Matt. "What's going on?" he asked, "Are you okay..."

"Gangrel's controlling him..." Matt sat up, "He can't help it, don't hurt him..."

"Well, how the hell am I supposed to stop him from hurting me?" Dave yelled. Dave grabbed Jake and threw him against a shelf. Jake came back for more, ignoring his injuries.

"Where is he?" Christian asked, looking at Matt.

"He's..." He looked around, but he couldn't see Gangrel anymore. "He's here... somewhere..."

"Where?" Christian asked. He turned around, trying to find Gangrel among the shadows.

Jake pushed against Dave, who grabbed his arm and threw him against the wall. "Snap out of it!" he shouted. Then, Jake fell to the floor, the control gone. All the pain from his fights with Matt and Dave hit him like a brick, and he started whimpering in pain. "What the hell?" Dave asked, leaning down to see if he was okay. Then, Jake felt his body loose control again.

He couldn't warn him. All he could do was helplessly watch as he shoved Matt's knife into Dave's chest. Dave's hand flew to his chest, staggering back before he fell to the floor. Tears fell down Jake's eyes... did he just kill someone?

Christian ran forward, to help, but then he heard a voice that stopped him cold. "Wait a moment. Let's have a chat." Christian turned around and there, arms around Matt's neck, pulling him close, was Gangrel. "What have you done, my son? Your beautiful hair..." He pushed his head into Matt's hair, smelling it, making him shiver in disgust. "He has such wonderful hair, doesn't he? How could you look at his and not miss your hair?"

"Let him go," Christian said, looking from Matt to Gangrel, the demon with his father's face.

"Drop the gun." Gangrel ordered, not a drop of emotion in his voice.

Christian nodded and dropped it. "Just... let him go. This isn't about him. This is a family matter..."

"But is he not your family?" Gangrel asked, "You adopted Matthew into your family. I guess that makes him my son too..." He grabbed Matt's hair and pulled his head back, looking at the thin line of blood on his neck. He licked it, savoring the taste of Matt's blood. "The most exquisite taste..."

"Please..." Christian shook his head. "Don't... not Matt... I'll do anything, just... not Matt."

He grinned. "Hear that, Matthew? What did I tell you?" He threw Matt to the floor and was at Christian in seconds. He touched his cheek, reminding Christian that his father was truly gone. All that was left in there was a demon.

He bent Christian's back over the counter and leaned over to his neck. "Mine." And then, his teeth were in Christian's neck.

Matt started moving as soon as he heard Christian scream. Anger overtook him, knowing that Christian wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for him. He crawled over to Christian's gun and pointed it at Gangrel. He had one shot, and he couldn't get the center, so he had to get what he could.

He shot and the bullet ripped through his lower back. Gangrel screamed like a feral animal and turned around, his eyes red with anger. "First Adam, now Christian... you're more trouble than you're worth."

In that moment, Gangrel forgot that Matt was off limits. He didn't care that his Master would kill him if he found out he killed Matt. He kicked him, making him drop the gun. He kicked his ribs, and Matt tried to crawl away, but Gangrel caught his ribs again, flipping him onto his back.

"There are 1.5 gallons of blood in an average human body," Gangrel said, "I'm going to enjoy drinking every last drop from your worthless corpse."

Then, a bullet ripped through Gangrel's chest. He hissed and saw Jake, cheeks tear streaked, holding Dave's gun. "I'm nobody's meat puppet," Jake snapped.

Jake gave Christian enough time to make his move. Christian picked up his gun and pointed it at Gangrel's head. Without question, he pushed the trigger, sending the bullet through his head. "That was for my father," he said, as Gangrel fell to the floor. Christian then ran for Matt, looking over him. "Did he... hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Matt said. He grabbed Christian's hand. "You set him free, Christian. Your father is in heaven now. You gave him peace."

Christian nodded, feeling tears come down his eyes. Then, he grabbed Matt and pulled him into a hug, pushing his body against his. "Thank you." Matt patted his back, letting Christian cry against him. Then, he looked at Jake, who was beaten beyond belief, and at Dave, who was barely holding onto life.

"Wait here," Matt said, "There's someone who can help us."

***************

Eve healed Dave, Jake, Matt, and Christian. They all got outside and went to the car, where Adam and Cena were. "Oh," Matt said, "Eve, can you heal Adam?" She nodded and went over to Adam. She healed his neck, and then went to his ankle. Then, she turned around.

"This has never happened before..." Eve shook her head. "I can't heal his ankle. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Cena clapped a hand to her shoulder. "If it weren't for you, I'd be partnerless. And you healed everyone else- I'd say you're out of juice."

Eve nodded, and Christian said, "So, John, what're you guys going to do?"

Jake cleared his throat. "Well, I owe them," he said, "And I can't imagine keeping Steven's car after everything. They could have it."

"Really?" Cena asked. "You sure?"

Jake nodded. "Just drop me off at the college. And... We have to get the cops to them. I can't imagine their bodies just rotting there..."

"We'd never let that happen," Batista said, "So, John and I'll take them to college..."

"Actually," Eve shook her head, "I don't think I could go back to college. Not after this. I think I could be useful to what you guys do."

"She's right," Christian thought for a moment. "I could drop her off at Vickie's. She'd know how you could help." He smiled at Eve. "She's a nice person, if just a little confusing."

"Thanks," she said. The two groups said goodbye, and Matt got in the back with Adam, putting his head on his lap, while Eve and Christian sat up front.

Adam looked at Matt, then at Christian. "So he's gone."

Christian nodded. "It's for the best."

"I know." Adam's hands clenched into fists. "I wish I could've seen it. I wish... I wish I could've seen it."

"He meant a lot to you two, didn't he?" Eve asked.

"He was their father... once," Matt said softly, in a tone that meant _drop it. _She nodded and the car went quiet. Christian put on some music, and they all just listened on the drive.

When they reached the border of Pennsylvania, Christian turned to look at Matt. He was looking out the window quietly, trying not to move so as not to wake up Adam. "Matt. Can you stay with Adam at the house while I take Eve to Florida? A few days off his ankle should do some good."

Matt nodded. "Will you be okay?"

Christian chuckled. "Don't forget who taught you what you know. I'll be fine. Just make sure Adam doesn't do anything that'll make it worse."

"Aye aye." Christian smiled, looking at Matt. Part of him wanted to tell him everything right there and then, but he knew he couldn't. But Matt did so much for him. Matt was his everything, and he had to express some of that.

"Matt."

"What?" Matt said.

"I meant it. Thank you so much."

Matt shook his head. "I was practically worthless during that hunt."

"You kept Jake alive. You saved both my life and Adam's. Worthless? Please." Christian couldn't believe worthless even came out of his mouth. "Matt, you're amazing."

"You're just saying that."

"I'm not." Christian tried to keep his eyes on the road, but he kept looking back at Matt. "Without you, I'm sure Gangrel would've killed Adam and I. Thank you."

Matt smiled. "You're such a good friend, Christian. Thanks."

"No problem," Christian said, swallowing what he really wanted to say. He turned back to the road and kept driving, smiling back at Matt every now and then. _I don't know what I'd do without him. If any demon wants to take him from us, they'll have to kill me first._

_*************_

Everything was going according to plan.

Evan was here. Raven was his, even if he didn't know it yet. Maryse was off to do one last job, before all the chips fell into place.

Mark was going to die, and a new age was going to begin. He knew, for certain, that in one week, Matt would give himself over to Raven, and he'd have the final puzzle piece. Maryse. Raven. Evan. Matt. The four people who would lead to Mark's destruction.

Matt would be harder to persuade than Maryse, Raven, and Evan were, but he had no doubt that he could make Matt see things his way. Mark sealed his doom when he let Raven murder Jeff. Matt was already poised against Mark. And once Mark was dead, Matt would really have no choice.

Everything would fall into place. Just one week, and all the pieces would come together.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	18. Goodnight Kiss

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Well, this is finally it. A lot of things finally happen in this chapter... including me admitting what Matt is aloud. It wasn't the greatest mystery, and a few people guessed, but I had fun keeping up the ruse. This chapter took a lot out of me. It's longer, a lot longer, than my usual, and it's a lot _darker_ than I originally thought it would be, when I planned it out back in June. But I'm really proud of it. I think it's my best work, but I guess that's for you to decipher. This story's not over yet, but we're finally at that point where we're close to the end. Read on, and I hope you enjoy it.**

**There are references to previous chapters, so if anything seems familiar, that's why. **

**So, thanks for the reviews, and this chapter's dedicated to everyone reading. **

**Warnings: Violence, angst, death, really dark moments... please prepare yourself.**

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**Chapter Eighteen: Goodnight Kiss**

"Wake up." Matt's eyes jerked open. He didn't even remember falling asleep. Christian stood above him, door open. "Come on, Matt. You got to get Addy to the house, okay?"

Matt nodded and woke up Adam. "Wha?"

"We're here," Matt said, "Come on." He helped Adam out of the car, and Adam's arms immediately latched around his neck, unable to walk on the one good leg. Matt sighed and Christian helped him get Adam onto his back.

Adam slapped Matt's head a few times, like a drum. "You're head's so awesomely hollow. It's perfect for drumming!"

"Go to hell, Addy-dick." Matt began carrying Adam back to the house, and Christian laughed, watching them. He didn't want to leave them, but he had to drop Eve off at Vickie's. Besides, they'd probably just sleep the whole time he was away.

*************

Christian and Eve walked to the door, and Rey opened it. "Hola amigo," Rey said, "I heard about the Blood Demon. Great job."

"How did he hear about that?" Eve asked.

"Vickie's a seer," Christian explained, "You'll get used to it." They walked inside and Vickie stood up, smiling.

"Hello, Eve darling." Vickie walked over and wrapped her arms around the young girl. "I know you're confused, but we'll help you."

"And you are?" Eve laughed.

"Oh, excuse me." Vickie pulled away and smiled. "I'm Vickie Guerrero, and my boys are Chavo and Rey. They protect us." Chavo and Rey both said hi to Eve, and she turned back to Vickie. "I'm going to help you learn how to use that power of yours, okay? And I promise everything'll be alright. But call your parents and let them know you're dropping out."

"Why?" Eve asked.

"Don't ask," Christian said, "Just know she's saying it for a reason." _Just like there's a reason for me not telling Matt... _Eve went off to call her parents, and then Vickie gave Chavo a look.

"Oh, Christian," Chavo said, "Aunt Vickie told me to get you this." He handed him a bag, and Christian looked at inside curiously. He grinned.

"_Evil Dead 2!" _He shouted, "Aw, Vickie, you're the greatest! You saved me a side trip!" He threw his arms around Vickie, who chuckled.

"No problem, Christian. No problem."

As Christian left, Vickie watched after him. She wanted to warn him so badly, but she knew the consequences of messing with fate too well. All she could hope was that Christian didn't find another reason to make a sidetrip.

*************

Adam woke up to the smell of soup. Matt was walking over to where he was laying on the couch, bringing him the bowl. "I thought you didn't cook," Adam said.

"I do, but not as good as you," Matt said. He gave Adam the bowl and Adam began eating the food as Matt got his own. As soon as they were done, Adam put down the bowl and scooted over. "Hey Matt," Adam said, "Come here." He patted the couch, and Matt sat next to him.

"What's up, Adam?" Matt asked.

"This is a serious question," Adam said, "So I want a serious answer. Are you in love with Mickie?"

Matt looked down. "I hardly know her," he said, "But I could see myself falling for her. She's... she's amazing, Adam. Ignoring how beautiful she is, she still has so much going for her. I guess I have a little crush on her."

Adam sighed. "I'm telling you this as your friend and as your partner. Crush the crush. We can't confuse things by adding a love triangle to the business. We're pushing things, having you here. We're lucky Cena and Batista didn't ask any questions about you. But eventually, people will find out about you, and I don't want to give them any ammunition to use against you."

"I know." Matt took a deep breath. "I haven't even thought about women like that in over a year. I mean, yeah, I had Amy before all of this, but I can't imagine ever being with her again. I've changed too much. And I guess I think about Mickie every now and again."

Adam put an arm around Matt. "I was with a girl once. It was short, whirlwind- I never saw her again, after the hunt was over. Christian doesn't even know about her. But I now know that this isn't the kind of business where love lasts. Shawn, Hunter, Vickie, Brian and Paul... all their lovesended in tragedy. It's better not to fall in love."

"What kind of life exists without love?" Matt asked.

"You learn to compensate in other areas," Adam said, "I love my car. I love my brother. I love you. And I love going to sleep at night thinking, that's one less family that'll be broken by a demon, because I killed it. You just have to compensate."

"I guess," Matt said. He leaned against Adam, and they both just sat there, thinking about the conversation that just happened. Adam looked up and decided to break the tension. "Put in a movie or something, I can't take this silence."

*************

Christian told himself to hold it, but he couldn't. He finally pulled over at a gas station and ran to the bathroom. "Sweet relief," he said, letting it all out. He walked out and bumped into a woman.

"Ex- _cuse_ me," she said, her French accent adding more contempt to the sentence.

"Excused," Christian sneered back. He walked to the car, unaware of what the woman did to him.

"Too easy," Maryse said, rolling her eyes. She went into the bathroom and disappeared in seconds.

For the rest of the car trip, Christian found his mind jumping back to Matt every now and again. He tried to bid the thoughts away, but he couldn't get him out of his head. The desire to just tell Matt everything was building higher than ever before. _He makes me want to be selfish... _He smiled, thinking about him. His Matt...

*************

The credits rolled, and Matt looked over to Adam- he fell asleep in his lap. Matt shrugged and leaned against the couch. He just had to learn how to compensate. And it shouldn't be that hard- Adam and Christian were such good friends. And he didn't want to subject anyone to Mark.

Last night was such a long night. Just the whole thing with Gangrel was too much, and that was just for him- he couldn't imagine what Adam and Christian felt, having a demon walk and talk like their father. He _was _once their father, before his demon side kicked in.

Matt put his hand to his head. He was lucky that Adam and Christian were his friends. If he didn't have them, he didn't know what he'd do. His eyes closed, just falling into sleep. Sometimes he couldn't believe how twisted his life really was...

"Matt." Matt's eyes opened, looking at Raven standing over him. He was about to scream, but Raven put a finger to his lips. "Don't do anything crazy, I'm not really here. You're dreaming, kid. And I can't do anything to you. I'm just... a recording, that's the best way to describe it." Raven sat on the floor, legs crossed. "See, Gangrel gave you this for me, when he bit you. I knew you and your friends would kill him, by the way. Bravo."

"What do you want?" Matt asked.

"You're probably wondering why I did this. Well, I'm here to say that you're going to leave your friends and go to a bus station in Richmond. James River bus lines. There'll be tickets there waiting for you."

"Oh, yeah right," Matt said, "And why would I do that?"

"You're probably refusing right now. But let me tell you this- if you don't go by the end of the week, you'll have another dream. And it won't be as nice as this one, but I swear, it'll make you go to the bus station. So, go now. If not, you'll regret it."

"Go to hell," Matt snapped.

"Make your choice," Raven said, "But make it good. Oh yeah... you can wake up now."

Matt's eyes opened, and Raven was no longer on the floor. So it really was a dream. He shook his head and then saw Christian at the doorway, staring at him and Adam. "Hey Christian," Matt said, "Adam fell asleep on me, but..."

Christian kept staring, as if the thing in front of him was so awful. "Christian, are you okay?" Matt asked.

"Sure," he said sarcastically. He dropped the bag he was holding on the floor and said, "I forgot something out there. Why don't you two remain cozy while I go get it?" Christian left, slamming the door shut. Matt scratched his head- what just happened? That wasn't the Christian he knew.

Christian didn't come back until that night. Matt made sandwiches, unsure if Christian was coming back. As he served Adam, Christian opened the door. "What a sweet little picture," he said, "Well, don't let me interrupt." He went to his room, and Adam and Matt exchanged glances.

"Something's up," Adam said. "I've never seen Christian act like that... and that's saying something." True; they'd only known each other all their lives.

Matt went to Christian's room, opening the door. Christian was laying on the bed and, without looking at Matt, he said, "I don't remember hearing a knock."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Matt asked.

Christian sat up. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He shouted, "After all the secrets I've kept, after all the things I've held back, you and Adam would just..."

"Me and Adam would just what?" Matt asked.

"Do... that!" Christian fumed.

Matt looked at Christian, confused. "What the hell do you think we were doing?"

"You know what you two were doing." Matt's eyes widened, finally getting his drift.

"You think me... and Adam... together?" Matt laughed.

"This isn't funny!"

"Yes it is!" Matt said, "Man, there's nothing between Adam and I. I've told you before, I'm into girls. And Adam's not into love. Why would you think we were together?"

"I know what I saw," Christian said.

"You saw Adam's head on my lap. My head's been on yours, yours on mine... we've done it all the time. What's so different about this?" Matt laughed again. "Besides, I'd bet I'm not Adam's type."

"You're everyone's type," Christian grumbled.

Taken aback by Christian's declaration, Matt said, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means get out, Matt."

Matt walked over to Christian. "No, really. What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly acting like this?"

"It's not all of a sudden, Matt." Christian stood up and walked closer to Matt. A little scared, Matt inched back until his back hit the wall. Christian put his arms on the wall, trapping Matt there. "It's been about this for a long time."

"About what?" Matt asked, voice quiet. They just stared at each other, and then Christian's lips pushed into his. Matt's eyes widened, and he was so shocked he let Christian do what he wanted. Christian pulled away and slapped his cheek softly.

"About you and me." Christian walked out, and Matt stood against the wall, staring after him. Did that really just happen? Matt's hand went up to his lips. Christian just kissed him. Just when life couldn't get more complicated, Christian _kissed _him.

*************

Even though Adam was focused on getting his leg back into working order, he could tell something was different between Christian and Matt. Christian refused to talk about it, and so did Matt... and, well, when your ankle's broken, you can't exactly make people tell you what happened.

For the next four days, Matt and Christian avoided each other. Christian regretted the whole thing- he couldn't explain why he overreacted like that. Now that he thought back, it did look pretty innocent- but then, he felt like Adam and Matt were betraying him the way Christian swore he wouldn't. But what was he supposed to say? Sorry I kissed you, Matt, let's go on like it never happened? I can't explain why I went all psycho on you and Adam, but I swear, I'm better now? He felt like a total failure.

And Matt didn't know what to do either. Facts were facts- there were hints all over the place. Christian even called him his soul mate once! But Matt thought he was just joking around; he had no idea he was serious. And when he finally faced the issue, he would have to tell Christian he wasn't interested in him that way. And then the friendship would be over.

_This isn't the kind of business where love lasts. Shawn, Hunter, Vickie, Brian and Paul... all of their loves ended in tragedy. It's better not to fall in love._ And here it was, another tragedy. All he had was Christian and Adam's friendship, and he was about to lose that too.

Finally, Adam just limped after Christian when he saw him after dinner and said, "What the hell happened? What's the issue?"

"Go sit, Adam," Christian said sadly.

"What happened between you two?" Adam asked, "Come on, we have to fix this. We're a team, remember? Reason, emotion, balance? Christian..."

"Just tell Matt I'm sorry," Christian said. He walked away, and Adam followed as best he could.

"You tell him," Adam said, "Come on, you two are friends. Whatever happened that night, we can get over it."

Christian turned around. "I kissed Matt."

"You did _what_?"

"I kissed him," Christian said, "Pushed him against the wall and pressed my lips to his."

"You're gay?" Adam asked.

"I guess. But I've never been attracted to another guy... just Matt." Christian leaned against the wall. "And I think I just ruined things."

Adam stumbled over and patted Christian's head. "It doesn't have to be that way. Just... you could work things out with him."

"But I can't take back what I did." Christian pulled away. "I swore I'd never tell him, that I'd never do _that_, and look what I do."

"Christian, you're my brother, and I love you," Adam said, "But sometimes you're so pigheaded. Just work it out. Maybe things could go back to the way they were before, but you could still fix things. We could be a family again... just a different one from the one we were before. Not worse, but different."

Adam hugged him, and then said, "This conversation's between you and Matt, so I'm going to stay out of it. I'm going to bed. If you need me... just come get me." Adam hobbled away, and Christian went to the living room. He plomped down on the couch. What the hell was he supposed to say? What could he say to Matt to make things better?

He walked to Matt's room, but Matt was already asleep. Christian watched for a moment and nodded. "New week, new start, right?" Christian walked back to the couch. He was going to talk to Matt. And even if they couldn't be what they were before, he had to salvage things.

He always told himself all he needed was Matt in his life; he didn't need them to be together. All he had to do was convince Matt that they could go back to being friends, that the kiss was a lapse of judgment.

_When he wakes up, I'll tell him. We can fix this. We have to._

*************

_Images of people screaming in fear, people begging for help, endless amount of blood, and the sound of bones cracking and snapping filled the land. She looked around, afraid, trying to figure out why so much evil was happening. She looked around and saw a young man with brown hair sliced a blonde man's throat, and the blond looked betrayed and confused. His blood went down the brunette's arm, and he looked satisfied... happy he killed the man in front of him._

_The sound of flesh, blood, and bone being destroyed echoed through her ears as she became trapped in a flurry of screams, growing louder and louder. People were decapitated, broken, destroyed, begging for mercy, mercy that would never come, not from the brunette that just personified evil..._

_Ruby woke up, her hand immediately going to her belly. She'd only been pregnant for five months, but for five months, she had such horrifying dreams. She rubbed her belly, thinking about the monster that gave her her life again..._

_"Are you okay?" Gil asked, putting his arms around her. Apparently, she woke him up._

_"No," Ruby said, shaking her head. Tears streamed down her eyes. "Get rid of it," she said, "Please, get it out of me."_

_"Don't talk about our child like that," Gil said, "This isn't the baby, it's that demon..."_

_"NO!" Ruby screamed, "Get it out! I don't want to see the pain anymore..." She started weeping openly, and Gil held her more tightly. _

_************_

_"Congratulations, Mrs. Hardy," the doctor said, "It's a boy."_

_Ruby refused to look up, or even in the general direction. After all the nightmares, all the pain, she couldn't look at her baby- she just wanted him gone from her life. Gil took the baby from the doctor and walked over to Ruby. "Look at him, darling," Gil said, "Look at our beautiful baby."_

_"No, I can't..."_

_"He's 100% healthy," the doctor said, "Don't you want to hold him?"_

_"No, just take him away..."_

_"Ruby, look at him," Gil said gently, "Just look at him."_

_"No!" Ruby snapped, a little too loudly. The baby started crying in Gil's arms and, despite herself, Ruby turned and looked at her baby. All the fears she had before just disappeared as she saw the baby; she instantly fell in love. She reached her hands out and took the baby from Gil, and the feel of his mother's hands began to calm him down._

_He stopped after a while, and Ruby cradled him, biting her lip. She couldn't imagine letting him go now. She could forget all the dreams, all the things she endured, all the agony during the pregnancy so long as she could keep the baby in her life._

_"You have a name?" The doctor asked._

_Gil nodded. "We always said... if we had a girl, we'd name her Jennifer. If we had a boy, we'd name him Matthew. Matthew Moore." Gil smiled at the baby. "Our Matthew Moore."_

Don't forget who that child truly is._ The demon's voice rang in Ruby's head, but she ignored it. "Our Matthew," she echoed._

_*************_

_"Why?" Mrs. Helms looked at Ruby, trying to understand. "Here, you have all of us. Why would you move?"_

_Ruby looked at Matt, who was chasing Shane around the living room. They were both only one, so they fell on their faces over and over again, but with the tenacity of a toddler, they were up in seconds and giggling, happy they could run. She couldn't imagine Mark touching her baby ever again. "We just need a change."_

_"Ruby Moore, you have lived in Cameron for years! Why do you need a change now?" Mrs. Helms asked._

_"I just do," Ruby said, "I wish I could explain more, but I can't, really."_

_Mrs. Helms sighed. "Shane's going to miss his favorite playmate."_

_"Matt's going to miss Shane too."_

_*************_

_Ruby held the pregnancy test in her hands, looking at it in shock. She was pregnant again? It couldn't have happened at a worse time. It was bad enough she and Gil were raising Matt on the road, but another one? And eventually they'd have to settle for a while, so she could give birth to the baby. By then, the demon could find them... and what if he said that it was time to take Matt away?_

_She walked out of the bathroom and saw Matt sitting on the bed, reading The Hungry Caterpillar. They had been living in a RV for the past two years, moving around constantly to throw off the demon, and she never felt safe... not once. What kind of life was this for Matt... and for her new baby? And even if she decided to get rid of the new baby, Matt would never be safe._

_Ruby couldn't let the demon get his hands on her son. She couldn't._

_*************_

_Ruby had been thinking about it for the past three months. Her baby, her Jennifer or her Jeffrey, was going to be born soon. She had to protect Matt the only way that would keep him safe forever. The constant moving was no way to raise a child. And if they stopped moving, Mark would find them. There was only one way._

_Ruby made sure Gil was asleep before she went to Matt, holding the kitchen knife behind her back, tears running down her eyes. _Please forgive me_, she cried out silently, _There's no other way. I'm so sorry, my Matt, I'm so sorry.

_She held the knife over his sleeping body, trying not to look at his face. Her hand started shaking, and she bit her lip. There was no other way. She had to do this. She closed her eyes and began to bring down the knife, but, suddenly, she felt a thump. She opened her eyes in shock and dropped the knife, bringing her hands to her stomach._

_For the first time, her baby kicked. Just when she was about to kill his or her brother, the baby kicked. It was as if the baby knew what she was doing, and wanted her to stop. _

_Matt's eyes opened and he said, "Momma? What is it?"_

_"The baby kicked," she said, shocked._

_"Really? I wanna feel!" Matt jumped up and put his hands on Ruby's belly. After a few moments, there was another kick. Matt's smile grew and he put his face against her belly. "Hi baby. I'm your brother, Matt. I can't wait to see you. Don't hurt Momma coming out, okay?"_

_Ruby started crying, and Matt looked up. "Don't cry, Momma." Matt stood up on the bed and wiped her tears. "Don't cry. Me and the baby don't like it when you cry. Right, baby?" He touched her stomach again, and she just started crying more._

There has to be a way to protect my Matt. Oh please God, send me a way to protect my Matt...

_*************_

_"You can... help us?" Gil asked hopefully, squeezing Ruby's hand. Her stomach was as big as it was going to get, and Jennifer or Jeffrey was due any day now. Matt was outside the room, being entertained by two blonde thirty year olds. One was big and muscular, and reminded the two of Thor. The other was smaller and almost feminine, with very pretty features. Although the Hardys didn't know them, they were willing to take the risk._

_"Yes." The man, called Ric, said, "While I can't protect you four personally, I know someone who can. You four will be protected from any demon radar, but if any of you mess with magic, the protection will die."_

_"Neither of us is willing to mess with magic, trust me," Ruby said, nodding her head, "And we'll raise our kids to disdain upon it too. I just... I can't let the demon find us." She and Gil smiled at each other as Ric continued talking to them. They found a way out. They could live a normal life without having to look over their shoulder. Matt and his little sibling would be safe._

_*************_

_"That's so unfair!" Jeff, only six, crossed his arms. His best friend Shannon stood with him, also crossing his arms. They were both disheveled, Jeff had a black eye, and Shannon had a busted lip. "Why should Matt get in trouble?"_

_"Don't argue with Momma," Matt warned. The nine year old grabbed his brother's shoulder. "Just go outside and play..."_

_"No!" Jeff said, pulling his shoulder out of Matt's hands. "Shannon and me started the fight! Matt just stopped them from hurting us! Why should he get in trouble?" _

_"Look!" Ruby snapped, "I'm the mother here, and I've told Matt many times he can't fight..."_

_"But Mrs. Hardy, it's our fault!" Shannon shouted, "Call my Momma and you two can punish me and Jeff, but Matt was only helping us..."_

_"He should've did what Shane did and got an adult," Ruby said._

_"Then they would've clobbered us, Momma!" Jeff shouted, "Matt saved us! See what they did to us?"_

_"Just go outside and play and stop questioning me!" Ruby said._

_Jeff shook his head. "You're mean! You're mean, Momma!" He ran outside, and Shannon followed him. Ruby sat down and looked at Matt._

_"And you!" she shouted, "You should've known better! Go upstairs and go to bed!"_

_"Okay Momma," Matt said, putting his head down. He went upstairs slowly and without a fight, and she put her hands on her head. She was always afraid of Matt rough housing- what if it was just the first step to becoming what Mark wanted him to be? And she knew it seemed she was being unfair, but it was the only way to keep Matt from fighting. She was doing the best she could._

_*************_

_Matt, now twelve, held Jeff as he cried in his shoulder. They were standing around their mother's coffin, and everyone was crying- except Matt. He wanted to keep a strong front for Jeff and his father, so he could help them through this. Ruby was the rock for so long, and Matt didn't want to fail his mother._

_The reception was in their house, and Matt held Jeff's hand the whole time. As they passed the kitchen, two women were gossiping. About Matt. "Not a single tear, as if he didn't care about her at all..."_

_"I wonder if he feels anything." Matt stared at them, and Jeff turned to him._

_"Don't listen to them, Mattie, they don't..." He let go off Jeff's hand and ran away, causing the ladies to turn around. They gasped, realizing what they just did. "Matt!" Jeff shouted, running after him._

_Matt slammed the door to his room and screamed. He kicked the door again and again. He wanted to jump into his mother's arm, but she wasn't there. She was gone. His eyes began to turn black as he kicked the door, and then he reached for the lamp. He flung it across the room, and the smash made him angrier. He could feel something building within him, but he didn't know what it was._

_He reached for his books, all the books his mother brought him, and he flung them across the room. Each loud, resounding thwack made him angrier, and the thing building in him was getting ready to come out..._

_"Matt!" He felt Jeff's hand grab his own, stopping him from throwing another book. He turned to Jeff and the black disappeared, Jeff's touch soothing him. "I miss her," he said, the first tear falling._

_"I miss her too," Jeff said, pulling him close. Matt hugged him back as they cried against each other._

_*************_

_"No!" Matt's eyes turned black as he broke the pressure holding him down. He stood up and ran out, not looking back. _

_"Chase him!" Mark screamed. Matt saw Raven, and he went into the bathroom. He locked the door and ran to the window. He tried to lift the window, but it didn't go very high, but he was going to try anyway._

_"Shit!" he shouted. He put one leg through it, and then the other. He pushed out of the window and fell into the bush below. As soon as he hit, the darkness left his eyes, revealing his normal brown ones, and he ran to the police station._

_*************_

_"I am NOT a waste!" Matt screamed, "I'm tired of listening to your bullcrap. I get too much of it from Adam, and from myself, to be taking any shit from you!"_

_The candle burst into flame, the fire brighter than it ever had been. But more importantly, Matt's eyes were completely black, making his face look more evil than he'd ever seen it._

_*************_

_"Get off!" Matt screamed, feeling the tip of the Boogeyman's spear in his collar. His eyes turned black and Boogeyman's hands caught fire, making him drop the spear._

*************

Matt opened his eyes and looked around. He was sitting in his room in the asylum and, right in front of him, was himself. The other Matt looked up, eyes completely black. "Don't you get it?" he asked, making a chill go down Matt's spine. Then, he became Mark.

"Don't you get it?" The person in front of Matt flickered between himself and Mark, and they both asked him, over and over again, that same question.

"Don't you get it?"

"Don't you get it?"

"Don't you get it?"

"Don't you get it?"

Suddenly, Matt felt a pair of lips against his ear. "You can wake up now," Raven said, voice filled with glee.

*************

Matt's eyes snapped open and he sat up. All his issues with Christian pushed Raven's threat into the back of his mind. But he never thought a dream could effect him as profoundly as that did, not after losing Jeff again. He thought he had nothing to worry about, but he was so very wrong.

"_Don't you get it?_" The same question he and Mark were asking him in the dream went through his head, and he had an answer for them. He did get it. He knew. He always did. He didn't want to know... but he always did. As soon as he and Jeff came home and found Mark above their father, as soon as his eyes met Mark's, he knew.

He went to the bathroom and threw water over his face. He looked at himself in the mirror and traced his features. How could he have been in denial for so long? He couldn't deny who he was.

_"Always remember who you are. You are the son of Ruby Moore and Gilbert Hardy. You are Jeffrey Nero Hardy's brother. You are Matthew Moore Hardy, and nothing anyone says can change that."_ But Jeff lied. He wasn't who he thought he was. It was all a lie, all a lie both Ruby and Matt readily accepted, not wanting to face the truth.

And Matt knew what he had to do... he had to do exactly what Raven wanted him to do.

He walked into his room and grabbed one of the vials Mickie gave him, the one for knocking people out. He walked to Adam's room and looked at his sleeping form sadly. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. He walked over and opened Adam's mouth, pouring half of the potion into his mouth. Adam stirred for a moment, but then the potion kicked in, leaving him motionless.

He walked to Christian's room, to repeat the process, but he froze when he opened the door. Christian wasn't in his bed. "What, you were just going to pour that shit into my mouth too?" Matt twirled around and looked at Christian. Christian was still on the couch, trying to figure things out, when he saw Matt with the potion. He followed him and was surprised to see him drug Adam. "I don't get it. What's going on here?"

"You don't understand," Matt said, his stomach growing heavy. "I have to do this..."

"Bullshit!" Christian shouted, "If I don't understand, help me understand. Why did you just drug Adam?"

"Christian, please..."

"Talk to me, Matt!" Christian shouted.

"I'm his!" Christian blinked, looking at Matt. What did he just say? "I'm his, Christian, I was always his..."

"What're you talking about?" Christian asked, putting his hands on Matt's shoulders.

"Mark," Matt said, "Mark... Mark's my father. I'm the next Demon Master."

Christian stared at Matt for a moment, but then he said, "No, no, you're not, the tattoo..."

"Doesn't change the fact that Mark's my father," Matt said, a depressing force pushing him down, "Don't you see? I'm what you hunt. I can't stay here. I can't..."

"Matt!" Christian shook his shoulders. "Look, I don't know what's gotten into you, but even if he was your father, which _he isn't_, I wouldn't care. You're still the Matt we spent the past year with."

"No, I'm not!" Matt shouted. "I'm a demon, nothing but a demon..."

"No. You're Matt. Adam's and my partner. The guy whose hunted with us the past few months. The man I love. My Matt." Christian's hands went around his neck, holding him softly as he stared into his eyes. Before Matt could do anything, Christian pushed their heads together, gently pressing his lips against Matt's. Christian just let their lips mingle for a few moments, showing Matt just how much he loved him. He pulled away and said, "I'm sorry about the past week, but... we can put it behind us. We can fix things. Matt... I know you, and you're not like them. You're so much more, Matt. You're not a demon. I don't know why you think you are, but you're not. Don't leave."

Matt turned around, his body filled with agony. He wanted to believe Christian so badly, but it was a lie. It was all a lie. Christian was in love with a lie, with someone who didn't exist. Christian's hand went on his shoulder comfortingly, but all he could feel was despair. Then, he made his decision. He brought the potion up to his lips and brought it into his mouth, careful not to swallow. He turned back around, dropping the vial and pulling Christian into another kiss.

Christian's eyes widened as he realized what Matt was doing. He tried to pull away, but Matt held tightly, forcing the potion down his throat. Once it was all down, Christian stumbled away, the world beginning to grow dark. "Matt..."

"I'm so sorry," Matt said, shaking his head, "Goodnight, Christian." Christian fell to the floor, completely unconscious. Matt swallowed a cry and quickly got dressed. He took the keys to the car and went there, having to leave before he infected the two people who meant the most to him any further.

He opened the car and started it, the sound making him more and more upset. Then, he pushed his head against the steering wheel. "Damn it..." He slapped the dashboard with his fist, trying to keep himself from crying. He was Mark's son, Mark's and Ruby's, the next Demon Master. The person he thought was his father wasn't; Jeff was only his half brother. His whole life was a lie. Adam didn't deserve to worry about a lie. Christian didn't deserve to be in love with a lie. He ruined their lives, and only by turning himself over would he fix it.

His head went up and he began driving. He had to be well out of the way before Christian and Adam woke up.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	19. Home

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**This fic's getting a lot more emotional than I originally intended. It just makes the chapters a little harder to write than the chapters of my other fics, because they're more depressing and a lot longer. So, I won't finish this in October, as hoped. But hopefully I'll end before December.**

**So, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy.**

**Warnings: The usual**

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**Chapter Nineteen: Home**

The biggest issue, Matt realized as he got on the highway, was that he didn't know where the James River bus lines were. But, somehow, as if it were instinctive, he knew exactly which ways to turn. Was this Raven's doing? Or did Matt's inheritance come with some kind of GPS?

He couldn't understand everything about what was going on in him, but he knew, his ability to make fire was just the tip of the iceberg. Someday, he would become Mark. He would be the Demon master, and there was nothing he could do about it. It was going to happen, no matter what he wanted.

What did he want? It was a question he wasn't too sure he had the answer to. He thought he wanted to be a Nightstalker, Christian and Adam's partner. But did he really want that life? The small amount of admiration he felt for Mickie was disdained upon, his existence was constantly hidden, and, most importantly, there was Christian. Christian, the guy he thought was his friend, but he really wanted more from him. How could he stick around and torture Christian?

He didn't belong with Adam and Christian. They were their own unit, perfectly contrasting each other, born to be partners. Matt was not meant to be a part of this group. It was another lie he told himself, along with the idea that he was a Hardy.

He wondered how many other false things he told himself, to make it easier to sleep at night.

He eventually got to the bus terminal. He parked the car a few blocks away, not caring that it was a no parking zone. He wandered around, making his way to the James River bus lines, and went inside.

"Excuse me? Jeffrey Nero?" Matt turned around, hearing his brother's name, and faced a woman. "Are you Jeffrey Nero?"

"Yes," he said. He just felt that the message was meant for him.

"This is for you." She gave him an envelope and said, "Some guy left it for you to use a week ago. They're vouchers, so you can redeem them for tickets." She left and he opened the envelope. He found two vouchers: one was for a ticket to Charlotte, and the other was for a ticket to Cameron. He paled, looking at it.

Raven was sending him home.

There was also a letter in there, and a raven's feather, telling Matt it was indeed from Raven. He pulled it out and read:

Your old house, midnight tomorrow.

He bit his lip, studying the letter. He wanted him to go back to Cameron. It had been so long since he'd been there- in fact, it was almost a year. About a week and a half until the anniversary of the death of his family.

Why did Raven want him back in Cameron, of all places? What was going to happen there? Could he really last a whole day in Cameron without getting noticed? And how would he react, seeing all the things that used to be his home?

_Was it really ever my home?_

Matt brought a sweater and thought about how Cameron used to be. He remembered all his friends, his job at the sandwich shop, his responsibilities, and everything else. Amy. He couldn't even believe how far he came from Amy. Once, he thought about proposing to her. And now, she was the furthest thing from his mind.

His whole bus ride was wondering. About Shane, Shannon, Marty, their families, and everyone else he cared about. What changed? What was the same? Throughout the whole bus ride, he couldn't sleep; all he could do was think.

****************

Adam's eyes blinked open, looking around dizzily as he tried to regain himself. It was one of the deepest sleeps he ever had, and it felt horrible. He thought they were supposed to be relaxing and refreshing, but he just felt tired still.

He slowly rose out of the bed, stretching his bones, trying to regain some kind of control. Eventually, he stood up and started limping to the kitchen. He wondered how Matt and Christian's conversation went. Maybe things could go back to somewhat normal, and they could...

His eyes widened, seeing Christian's body slumped on the floor. He dragged himself over to him as fast as possible and knelt by his body, slapping his cheek to wake him up. "Christian!" he shouted, "Come on, Christian, get up. Come on."

Christian's eyes fluttered open, and he said, "...Addy?"

"Oh fuck." He wrapped his arms around him. "You scared me, man. What happened?"

Christian sat up, trying to make sense of the jumble of pictures in his head. Then, vividly, he recalled Matt's lips against his, making the vile substance go down his throat... "Matt!" he shouted, "Adam, we got to go get him, he's making a mistake, he's confused..."

"Christian!" Adam shook him until he stopped talking. "You're going too fast. What happened to Matt?"

"Adam, he must've been confused; he had no idea what he was saying! He said he couldn't stay here. He drugged us..." Adam still couldn't get it, so he tried to make Christian calm down, but he couldn't. But after a while, he was able to understand the whole story.

Christian told him everything, not leaving anything out. Adam's face went from incredulous to confused to finally worried. Once Christian was done he said, "Matt _left_? Because he thinks he's the next Demon Master? But why? What happened?"

"I wish I knew." Christian bit his lip, thinking about his friend. "I'm so fucking stupid."

"What? Why do you say that?" Adam put his hand on Christian's shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"P- part of me was so happy, just so happy to feel his lips against mine that I- I didn't think. Matt wouldn't have been able to drug me if I hadn't been so stupid..." Christian looked him in the eyes. "If I didn't love him, he wouldn't be gone right now, Addy. He'd be here, with us, safe."

Adam didn't know what to say. On one hand, he was against love in the business, but Christian didn't ask to fall in love with Matt. It just happened. "Christian, listen to me," Adam said, "It's not your fault. Someone else is messing with Matt's mind, making him do things he wouldn't normally do."

"But those first few seconds, I opened my mouth, Adam!" he shouted, "God, I made it so fucking easy for him, just willing to believe, despite the proof, that Matt returned my feelings..." He shook his head. "This is what Vickie meant. I fell in love, and now Matt's going to be at Mark's mercy. He has to pay because of me..."

Adam did the only thing he could think to do; he slapped Christian hard across the face. He stopped babbling when he felt the sting, bringing his hand up to his cheek. "Why..."

"We can't help Matt if we point the finger," Adam said gently, "I swear Christian, it's not your fault. Matt would have found a way to escape if he really wanted to, and it sounds like he did."

"But what if Mark gets him? What then?" Christian asked.

"We'll get him back," Adam assured him, "Remember what we promised each other at Vickie's house?"

"We'd all die for each other," Christian said, remembering how easy it was to make the promise that Matt wouldn't be at Mark's mercy. But there was another prediction of Vickie's coming true; Matt would be with Mark soon enough.

"Exactly," Adam said, "God, remember you used to have to be the one to bring me down? Now, I'm doing it for you."

"Love makes you crazy," Christian said. They stood up. "Come on, if Matt took the car, then I have an idea on how we could find him." Adam said, "And we will find him, Christian, we will."

Christian nodded. He'd make Matt see that he was nothing less than a good man, that he belonged with them, not with the demons. He'd show him that he wasn't the Demon Master. He had to. "Adam... thank you," he said, "Thank you for keeping your head."

Adam smiled, although he felt too horrible to mean it. "No problem. That's what brothers are for, right? Keeping their head when the other is in a bad place. Now, let's get our Matt back."

****************

The car was found and towed at nine a.m. Steve heard about it before it even went to the local police.

He went to the impound and looked around Adam and Christian's car. Why did they park in a no parking zone? What was going on? He'd ask them, but, of course, those idiots didn't have phones.

The first thing he was going to do was make them go down to a damn mobile store.

"Excuse me." Steve turned around and held back a groan; it was a police officer who obviously took his job of finding out why a car was in a no parking zone seriously. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Steve chuckled. "On what authority?"

"On the authority of the Richmond police de-"

"Oh, whoop-de-da. You're from the Richmond police department." Steve flipped out his FBI badge. "Agent Williams, FBI. I think that trumps your little department."

The officer flushed. "It's just a routine parking misdemeanor, I don't see why the FBI-"

"Do I tell you how to do your job?" Steve asked.

"Well, no, but..."

"Maybe I should, because last I checked, you have no authority questioning me. Now get out of here and buy yourself some donuts or something; you're embarrassing yourself." The officer walked away, muttering about egos and FBI agents.

Steve looked over the car and froze when he saw the keys in the ignition. While Adam was a lot of things, stupid wasn't one of them, and he wouldn't leave his keys in the car in a no parking zone. Things were beginning to scare Steve, and he wondered why Vickie ordered him here. Were Adam, Christian, and Matt hurt? Did Mark get his hands on Matt? What was going on?

"Steve?" He turned around and saw Christian and Adam walking over. Adam was limping, but they were otherwise okay. Steve looked at their serious faces and said, "What the fuck is going on?"

"Matt," Christian said, "He ran away from us after drugging us. He said things, things that couldn't be true..."

All the warning bells were going off in Steve's head, but he kept his cool. "Like?"

Christian looked down, unable to say it again, so Adam did. "He thinks that he's Mark's son." A bitter silence followed, and then Steve nodded his head, signifying that they were completely correct.

"No!" Christian shouted, "He... no... the tattoo..."

Steve pulled a picture out of his bag. He showed it to Christian and Adam, and it was of the dead boy he, Jericho, Punk, Rob, and Terry went after. "This is Marcus Calaway Jr," he said, "He died about twenty one years ago. He's Matt's older brother on his father's side." Christian and Adam studied the picture, seeing the resemblance between the boy and their friend, and between the boy and the Demon Master.

"He was supposed to be the next Demon Master, but Jerry Lawler and I killed him, losing our partners in the process." Steve thought about Dwayne and Jerry's partner, Jim Duggan, for a moment, and then said, "He could have a triquetra on his arm without it bubbling."

"But Matt's not evil," Christian argued, "He's helped us with so many demons..."

"Doesn't matter." Steve put the picture away. "Demon Masters are different from demons. Matt won't have the compulsion toward evil, but make no mistake, he is the next Demon Master."

Christian shook his head, unable to believe it, but Adam said, "Did you find Matt with the car?"

"It was abandoned." Steve crossed his arms. "I have no idea where he went."

"He said..." Christian took a breath, trying not to break again. He had to keep strong to help Matt out. "He said he had to turn himself over. He said he was what we hunt, and that he couldn't stay with us."

"He's giving himself to Mark? Holy fucking shit," Steve started pacing. "Well, I don't think Matt drove this far just for a snatch and go. There's a reason they brought him here." He began thinking about it, trying to find out why a demon would lure Matt to this side of Richmond. "Shit, I'm no good at this detective bullshit. Let me see if our oracle can tell us anything except blah blah blah balance."

He dialed the phone, and he heard, "I didn't want to be right, Steve. I never want to be right."

"I don't give a rat's ass right now," Steve said, "What can you tell me about the kid, Vicks? What can you tell me about Matt?"

"I can't tell you where he is," she said, "I can't stop him without harming the balance. But I can tell you a bit about getting him back."

"Do tell," Steve said sarcastically, already ticked by the appearance of his old nemesis 'the balance'.

"Well, if you'd give me a moment, I would." Vickie answered, "He's going to the Demon Realm. What you three... you three and no others... need to do is get there. Remember: time there moves differently than time here. The longer you take, the longer he'll be at Mark's mercy. And tell Christian that, when you three find a way to teleport, he needs to think about how he felt before Matt drugged him. If he doesn't, you'll appear anywhere in the demon realm, and you might be ripped to shreds."

"Gotcha."

"Oh, and Steve?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful." A dial tone filled his ears, and he reminded himself to give her hell the next time he saw her.

"So?" Adam asked.

"We've got our work cut out for us," Steve said sardonically, "Let's go."

"Where?"

"We've got a little bastard to find, if we want to get Matt back. Come on; time isn't on our side."

************

How long did Matt walk around the bus terminal with no actual destination? He couldn't begin walking around Cameron; there was too much of a risk of someone recognizing him. And the only thing he feared more than what he was actually doing was going back to an asylum.

"Excuse me sir." Matt turned around, looking at the security guard behind him. "Do you need a ride or something? You've been here for a while, and it'd be no trouble..."

"Oh, I'm fine," Matt said, seeing the ring on his finger, "Just waiting for a friend, and if she gets here and I'm not here, well, you know how they get."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I do." He lifted up his hand. "Nine years. Emma might be the love of my life, but boy does she know how to push my buttons."

"Don't they all," Matt agreed. They laughed and the officer left, leaving Matt on his own. He immediately found he missed it; it left him with his thoughts about who he was and all the lies he was dealt. The past year he had been searching for revenge, and his target was his own father. The man he thought was his father, the man who raised him, wasn't, and his killer, the one Matt swore to destroy, was.

Everything he'd ever heard was a lie, it seemed. Christian lied about his feelings for him. Mickie lied about her feelings for her husband. Christian and Adam lied about his existence. Eve lied about her abilities until she had no choice but to reveal them. The tulpa Jeff lied when he told Matt he was still Matt Hardy. His own mother lied, pretending he was a normal child, when she knew full well who and what he was.

He didn't know what to believe anymore.

When it got closer to the time, Matt left the station, unable to stay there any longer. He just walked, keeping his head down, until he eventually ended up at the graveyard. He followed a familiar path until he was at his mother's grave. Gilbert Hardy's grave was right next to hers, and, six plots away, was Jeff's.

He walked over to Jeff's grave, smiling when he saw the stuff around it. Burnt out candles. Cards that said stuff like 'Never will be Forgotten' and 'The world stopped the day he was taken from us' hung around it. Little gifts were there, like teddy bears and toy motorcycles. He was sure the shrine was erected recently, because the stuff looked new, and the anniversary was coming up.

"A bit of us all died that night." Matt read off of one of the cards, and it struck him how true that was. More than just a bit of him died that night; his whole life crumbled before his eyes. And as he put it back together, it was destroyed again.

There were also pictures. A few of Jeff with friends, school photos, and family photos. and the one that caught Matt's eye was one of him and Jeff. Matt's arms were around Jeff and they were both smiling at the camera. Matt looked at his brother, who looked bright and radiant, and then at himself. He always had a darker quality than Jeff, and, despite the smile on his face, Matt couldn't help but think of himself as a shadow. Or maybe a dark cloud, hanging over their heads, waiting to be reclaimed by his real father.

He put a hand on the gravestone. "I do miss you, baby brother. Every day. I promise I won't let what happened to us happen to anyone else."

He then walked to his mother's gravestone, his eyes darkening as he saw the name Ruby Moore Hardy. "Why didn't you tell me?" Matt said, dropping to his knees to touch the stone. "I'd rather have known then lived my life thinking I was someone else. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm all cried out, mother. There's not a single tear left in me. All I feel now is anger, anger and an unrelenting misery. And it was because you were so damned selfish. How could you let me live a single day as Matt Hardy when you knew I wasn't a Hardy? Do you realize what you've done? God, Mom... I'd rather have never had a normal life then to have had it and then lost it. Don't _you _get it, mother? I was never supposed to live like a normal child! Why did you lie to me?"

He leaned against the tombstone, thinking about his mother, but about Christian as well. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to ask both of them this question. "Why couldn't you just tell me the truth?" he asked.

He stood up and spared a glance at Gilbert Hardy's grave. He didn't know either. Only Ruby knew. He felt bad for him. Every time Gil clapped for him at a track meet, every time he smiled at a grade Matt brought home, every time he called him 'son'... he wasn't aware that he actually wasn't his.

"I feel more sorry for you than anyone," Matt traced his name with his finger. "I wish you really were my father. Thank you for everything." He crossed his arms as a gust of wind blew over him and began walking to his old house.

When he got there, the first thing Matt thought was that some things never changed.

There it stood, still the same place on the outside that it always was. He walked to the door and opened it, surprised at how easily it opened. But as soon as he walked in, he knew that a lot more things changed than stayed the same.

Beer cans littered the floor, and Matt could only think that kids were using his home to get away with drinking. He swallowed his anger and found himself compelled to the kitchen. There wasn't any blood, but Matt could imagine how Gil looked after Raven was done with him. The biggest piece they found was a bone fragment the size of a toenail, they said. It sickened him.

_Touch the wall, Matt. _He blinked as he stretched his hand out, reaching for the wall. He touched it and he heard the same scream he heard as he and Jeff ran up the stairs, telling him to protect himself and his brother, followed by an explosion. Then, he could almost feel thick blood spray all over his fingers. After the initial shock wore off, a new sensation came, this of blood oozing down his hand, between his fingers. _Now, up the stairs, Matt._ Matt listened to the voice, unable to refuse the request. When he reached the top, he heard _Into the bedroom_.

Matt entered the room he shared with Jeff and moved toward the wall Raven pushed Jeff into. He stood in front of it, staring, remembering the horrified look on Jeff's face. _Touch the wall, Matt. _Matt didn't want to, mind returning to how Jeff stared at Raven as he kissed him, making his younger brother feel more fear, but his hand had a mind of it's own. _The more you're afraid of it, the more able I am to make you do it. Put your hand on the wall._

Matt felt a warm pressure on the back of his hand, as if someone's body were against him. The insistent, fast beat of a heart filled his body, and he knew it was Jeff's.

"Mattie... Mattie, help! Help me! No, stop, please... MATT!" Matt almost broke down as his hand grew sticky with blood, sensing the heart beating against it, no longer enclosed in the body. The heart moved, and all he could perceive was a hole in the body, tendrils tickling his hands.

Matt could move again, and he stepped back, fighting back all the emotions that came with the experience. He turned around and angrily shouted, "Where the fuck are you, Raven?"

"My my, temper temper." Raven walked into the room, eyes set on Matt's. He smiled sadistically and bowed. "Young Master."

"This is your game? Bring me here and remind me how much I hate you?" Matt growled.

"Kind of part of the job description, Young Master," Raven said, "This rage, the ire building inside you? It's making you stronger, pulling the darkness hidden deep within you to the surface."

"That's why you murdered my brother?"

"Yes. Well, that, and his ability to calm you down. And we couldn't have that, could we? We couldn't let Jeff live, not if he could depress your true potential. Daddy was personal for Master; he didn't like that he couldn't find you for over eighteen years." Raven tsked tsked. "You know, most places would arrest Gilbert Hardy for kidnap, wouldn't they?"

"He was a great man, and you killed him," Matt spat, "He was just protecting his child, and you killed him!"

Raven shrugged. "He just pulled the wrong card, Young Master. Don't blame me; that's fate's fault." He walked around Matt, who kept his eyes on Raven, not wanting the Nightmare Demon out of his sight. "That's right, let it build. Let yourself break. You have to be the one to bring yourself to our realm the first time. Reach for your power."

Matt could feel his rage building, unable to fight it. "Do you need a push, Young Master?" Raven asked. He moved forward, and Matt moved back. Raven sniggered and said, "We went easy on you. The Nausea Demon, Victoria, your father... neither of them went all out on you or your friends because you still haven't reached your full potential, and they couldn't kill you. I wonder how Adam and Christian will fare against a demon with no restraints."

"You wouldn't dare..."

"And you still have so many friends here. Shannon, Shane, Marty, Amy... I could go to all their houses and methodically murder each and every one of their families."

Matt pulled out his gun and pointed it at Raven. "I'd kill you first," Matt snapped.

"It's out of bullets," Raven said, snapping his fingers.

"You want to bet?" Matt asked. Raven opened his hand and there, in his palm, lay all the bullets he put in his gun.

"Never show me your cards, Young Master... because, on some level, you fear it being taken away," Raven explained, "Now, let's see... there's also the people you've come to care about. Poor Jake Hager, who almost became a murderer. Maria Kanellis and Candice Michelle, the hapless girls you met while fighting the Nausea Demon. Eve Torres, the healer girl. Vickie Guerrero and her boys. And of course, Mickie Orton... you have feelings for her, don't you? Or maybe for Christian, you didn't shrink away any of the times he kissed you..."

"Shut up!" Matt shouted. His eyes were filled with anger, and then his brown eyes gave way to an inky black color. The curtains caught fire as Matt unsuccessfully tried to suppress his anger. How dare Raven just read him like that, taking all his personal memories and flaunting them?

Raven noted the curtains with "What's the matter? Maybe I should get Mickie Orton and Christian and put them on a scale. Which one means more to you? Mickie or Christian? Christian or Mickie? Which would you let me kill?"

"You won't touch any of them!" He screamed, and the closet burst into flames. "I won't let you, I'll stop you..."

"Then stop me!" Raven roared, "You want to keep them safe, then call to mind your true home. The only way to keep them safe is to give into who you are!" He snickered. "Do you think you'd be able to keep them safe, even if you didn't come? What if you got _angry_? What if you got mad because Randy Orton has your crush, or because you're confused about Christian's feelings for you... you'd kill them, Young Master. You will be the death of them and everyone else around you unless you accept and command your darkness!"

A wave of sadness sliced through his anger. He didn't belong here. The darkness was in him, wanting to be let out... wanting to go home. But this wasn't home, some far off place that Matt wasn't aware he knew about was, and his whole body yearned to be there. Matt's personal desire to murder Raven was being overwhelmed for his longing for the home he never knew.

_You'll kill them, Matt. Matt Hardy wouldn't, but he's not the real you, is he? Matt Hardy didn't relish the power like you do. Matt Hardy didn't thrive in the darkness like you do. Come home. Come home..._

Matt grew dizzy with fury and agony, and his next words died on his lips. Raven and his old bedroom blurred in front of him,and then everything was dark. Sweet oblivion consumed him, and he eagerly accepted the embrace. He wouldn't let a single demon hurt the ones he loved. Not even himself.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	20. Sweet Persephone

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Happy Halloween, friends! I should be updating other stuff, but hey, this is a little more in theme with the season. Christian and Adam's parts are not happening at the same time as Matt's; their parts happen before Matt goes to the Demon Realm. That's about it for notes, so go ahead!**

**So, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy.**

**Warnings: The usual**

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**Chapter Twenty: Sweet Persephone**

His eyes snapped open.

He sat up, feeling his heart beat at miles per second. He looked in the mirror, making sure his bandages were in place, and he grinned.** "He's here," **He said. Finally, after about two decades of waiting, Matt was home. Matt was within his reach. His master was finally home.

He had to see him before Mark did. Before Mark tainted his master any further than he already did.

He disappeared, following the feeling of Matt's unmistakable energy, until he appeared in front of a room, just a bed in the middle of it. He watched as Raven picked Matt's unconscious body up and carried him to the bed. His master must've exhausted himself, teleporting here. He watched as Raven teleported away, probably to tell Mark- after all, Mark had to feel Matt's energy just as easily as he did. Raven couldn't look like a traitor, not yet.

But it wouldn't matter soon. Matt would kill Mark, and he'd become the next demon master. The greatest demon master the world has ever seen. Matt would bring the world to it's knees, and he was sure of it; that's why he was preparing strong demons to stand by Matt's side. Maryse. Evan. Raven. And a slew of others either Maryse or himself converted, all Matt's army, all waiting to be commanded.

He waited until Raven was completely gone before he entered the room, eyes completely trained on the sleeping young man. **"Master,"** he whispered in reverence, unable to believe he was finally in front of him. As soon as he was in front of Matt, the man with the bandages knelt in front of him. **"My Master."**

He grabbed Matt's hand, feeling the power hiding deep inside of him. He ran his thumb over Matt's knuckles, finding himself almost impatient to see his Master completely decimate all his foes.

**"Not yet, but soon, my master,"** he whispered,** "Soon, I'll be able to show you how anticipated your arrival truly was... soon, I'll be able to show my true face... My master..."**

He bent close to Matt's ear. No, Matt wouldn't be Mark's, not if he had anything to do with it. His master would belong only to himself; the only person who would own Matt was Matt. He had to awaken completely in his own time, not in Mark's. But he had to say something that Mark wouldn't understand that there was a traitor if he read Matt's mind that, at the same time, was something that would tell Matt all he needed to know. He opened his mouth and whispered two words, making them vertebrate through Matt's whole body,

**"Sweet Persephone..."**

****************

"What do you mean, a little bastard?" Adam asked, as they piled into Steve's car.

"Well, I mean Little Bastard," Steve said, "He's the only demon I could imagine wanting to help us; he _is _a mischief demon. But this won't go easily, I'll tell you that."

Adam rolled his eyes; if there was anything he couldn't stand, it was... well, it was John Cena. But Mischief Demons came in close second. Instead of having a compulsion to evil, they instead pulled pranks and stuff like that, living off of livid faces and laughs from the crowds. He would stand it, though: he promised he'd do anything for his partners, and it wasn't a promise he took lightly.

Christian stood silent, thinking back at what he said when Matt told him he was Mark's son. _"Look, I don't know what's gotten into you, but even if he was your father, which_ he isn't_, I wouldn't care. You're still the Matt we spent the past year with."_ When he said it, he was completely sure it wasn't true. But even now that he knew that Matt was the next Demon Master, he still didn't care.

All he knew was how the sight of Matt battered and bruised because of training tugged at his heart strings, how seeing how happy watching _Evil Dead _made Matt made him happy, of how Matt held him after he shot Gangrel dead, and how just being around him made him feel at peace.

Matt was supposed to be the enemy, but none of them were treating him that way. Christian could hardly even put Matt and enemy in the same sentence. Finally, he just said, "Aren't we... as hunters, aren't we supposed to _hunt _Matt?"

"Do you want to hunt him?" Adam asked softly.

"No! Not Matt... he'd never..." Christian shook his head. "I'm just asking."

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime," Steve said, "Imagine the Demon Master having compassion for humanity, more content protecting us then letting his minions kill us. What would that mean for us?"

Adam's eyes widened. "Less families would be broken apart. There'd be less demon attacks. Matt could change everything for all of us."

"That's right," he said, "But we can't let Matt get twisted by Mark's influence. If Matt becomes like Mark, that future will never happen..."

Christian shook his head. "Matt would never," he said, "Never."

"There's only so much the spirit can take," Steve answered, "So much abuse, so much torture, until it bends and twists into ugly shapes. And then it finally breaks."

"I liked you better when you cursed," Christian snapped.

"Christian, it'll be alright," Adam answered, "All we need to do is..."

"...find him and keep them from getting their hands on his spirit," Christian finished, "Got it."

"That's my Christian." Adam slapped Christian's back and said, "Steve, as fast as you can. No detours."

*************

_**Sweet Persephone...**_

The first thing he knew when he finally woke up was that he couldn't breathe.

Matt sat up, trying to steady himself, but it just felt like he was going to die, like hands were around his throat, trying to squeeze life out of him.

Matt felt a hand pound against his back, and he heard one word, "Slowly." He tried to, but it hurt. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he breathe?

He slowly found himself able to take in air, if only a little. He saw a cup held out in front of him and the person said, "Drink." He nodded and took it, but then he saw his reflection in the liquid, making him think about where he was.

He turned to the person, a young man with a sweet face. "Who are you?" Matt asked.

"Evan," he answered, "Don't worry, I had trouble when I first came here too. But you'll get a hang of it." He smiled widely. "And once you do, it'll be the sweetest feeling."

_Don't trust him. He's a demon. _Part of Matt argued. _But so are you. _He nodded and said, "What's going to happen to me?"

"What do you mean?" Evan asked, confused.

"I mean, what are the plans for me?" Matt said, "What will happen from here?"

"That's all up to you, isn't it?" Evan asked, "You are my Master. Don't... don't think of yourself as a victim... this is your realm! This is your home! You don't have to worry down here!"

Matt looked around the room, trying to recognize the surroundings that were supposedly home. It was just a bed in a black room, completely unfurnished. There was light, but it seemed to come from nowhere; there wasn't a single light source. Maybe the idea of that would've once confused Matt, but he once had a friend who told him that he needed a better tolerance for the spooky and unexplainable.

_God, do I have to shake my ass every time something weird happens?_

Matt swallowed, thinking about the last time he saw Christian. He took advantage of him. He kissed him, knowing full well how Christian felt about him, all for the chance to come here. Evan stared at him and said, "Are you okay, Master? Are you dizzy or something?"

"No," Matt said, "No, I'm fine." Evan could see he was preoccupied, but he didn't push the issue; it was his Master's discretion, whether he wanted to tell him or not.

"Well, drink up, and I'm sure Master will come see you eventually," Evan smiled, and Matt wanted to think of him as a demon, as someone to be on guard around, but he couldn't. Evan seemed so guileless, so innocent, that he couldn't imagine him on the same level as Raven, Gangrel, or any other demon he's faced.

As Evan disappeared, Matt grabbed the cup, a little apprehensive, but his issues breathing settled the doubts. He brought it up to his lips, and then he heard something again.

_**Sweet Persephone...**_

Matt stopped, unsure of why the words came into his head. Persephone sounded familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on where he heard the name before. He put down the cup and got up, walking to the door, to see where he was.

In front of him was a winding hallway, lit in the same odd way his room was. The hallway looked like a cave, and he left the room, noting where it was. He walked down the hall, staring at the blank cave walls, before he eventually found another door.

Cautiously, he opened the door. When he heard and saw nothing, he walked inside, looking around. It was also cave-like, with nothing in it. Where the hell was he? This wasn't what he expected at all, even though his whole body reacted just to being here. He was at peace, at some level.

He heard a growl, and whipped around. A gasp caught in his throat as a dog like creature moved closer. He had no flesh, but his muscles were obscenely defined. It had no eyes, but it had a gigantic, human-like mouth. Giant claws scratched against the floor as he stalked closer to Matt.

He reached for his gun, but slowly remembered he had no bullets. He cursed Raven as he backtracked into the wall, knowing he had nowhere to go. A long, grotesque tongue flicked around Matt, not licking him but almost tracing his body. Matt watched, tense, as the tongue retracted and the monster put it's head to the side, extending it's neck.

"It's giving you it's neck." Matt looked up and saw Mark at the door. "It means he's showing you allegiance. The Lingus' only weakness is it's neck; he's giving you the ability to kill him, if you wished." He snapped, and the Lingus licked Matt's hand softly before he ran away. He shuddered as he disappeared in mid-run.

Mark walked forward, a sick smile on his face. "Welcome home, Matthew." Matt met him halfway, unwilling to be caught against the wall again. "Finally. It's been too, too long. So you know now."

"I know," Matt said quietly.

Mark put a hand on his cheek momentarily and said, "My son." They just stared at each other for a while, and Matt said, "This doesn't change what you've done to me."

"What I've done _for _you," Mark corrected. "You think this year will remain in your memory for long? Trust me; you have a long, long life ahead of you, filled with so much more than what you have experienced thus far. Sooner than you think, it'll be like a dream... or a dream of a dream." His smile grew a little more caring and nurturing, but there was still a menacing glint behind it. "And you will thank me for all I've done."

Matt doubted it, but he didn't voice his issue. Instead, he let Mark continue. "Have you been fed yet?" he asked. Matt stood silent, and Mark took that as a no. "If you want food to be brought to you, just ask. Or you could look around for a while; no room is off limits to you. But our realm is vast, and each room made to fit the demon who resides there: don't allow yourself to get lost. Eventually, as you get used to our realm, your room will warp to fit your needs. You can do whatever you wish. As soon as this place becomes a little more like home, then we'll talk about your future."

"What if I never get used to this place?" Matt asked.

Mark patted his head in a way that made Matt feel like a stupid kid. "Matthew, you'll find this realm- your realm- is a lot more enticing than you think. In time, this'll be more your home than the house in North Carolina or Adam and Christian's shack ever were. If you need me, just say my name, and I'll be there. I expect I'll be visiting you again soon enough. So, make yourself at home."

***************

As it got closer to midnight, Steve, Adam, and Christian finally arrived at their destination. The eight hour car trip made both Adam and Christian very anxious; they didn't know how long Matt was down there, if he was down there yet at all.

They were in Louisiana, in front of a farm house. But it was like the farm house from hell- it was decorated with splotches of purple, yellow, and green paint. There was glitter on one side of the house, and the grass and flowers on the lawn were painted blue, brown, and orange. Different stuff was on the lawn, ranging from toys to what looked horribly similar to a cow's leg, except it was painted red and gold.

"This is the right place?" Christian said, unwilling to see how someone who could do all of this could possibly help them.

"You bet your ass. Now let's go in and out before we come back looking like fucking Ronald McDonald." They walked down the path, and Christian and Adam looked down at the toys. Adam picked up a horn and Steve yelled, "Don't touch a single fucking thing!"

"Why not?" Adam asked as Steve threw it to the ground.

"You don't know what they do. You pressed that horn, it could've put your head where your ass is," Steve warned. Adam grabbed his head in horror, thankful it was still on his shoulders, and Christian let out a small, almost nonexistent snort. It wasn't much, but it was the first show of any kind of emotion other than sadness since he woke up.

"Alright!" Steve shouted, when they approached the door, "Come out, you Little fucking Bastard! We need to talk!" Nothing happened, and Adam thought about knocking on the door, but after hearing what the horn could've done, he decided it best to keep his hands to himself.

"Ha ha, bah!" Steve was rattled when the mischief demon finally appeared... on Steve's shoulders. "Get off you little goat sucking..." Steve tried to throw Little Bastard off, but he hung on. When he felt himself falling, he bit Steve on the shoulder. "God damn it!" Finally, Steve got him off, and Little Bastard crossed his arms in disappointment. It was such a fun game until the mean man threw him off.

"Okay, um... Mr. Little Bastard?" Adam said, "We have a favor to ask..."

"Bah ha bla!" He shouted, and then he kicked Adam in his bad ankle. Adam grabbed Steve for support, and he shouted, "Look, can we just be serious for a moment..." Little Bastard reached for Adam's hair, and he hopped out of the way, not wanting his hair subjected to him.

"Stop it!" Little Bastard turned around, looking at Christian, who was completely angry. "Just stop the stupid games!" Little Bastard was about to prank Christian, but he dropped down on his knees, getting on level with the small demon. All that was left was the remorse in his eyes, and it froze the demon in his tracks. "Look, someone very special to me is in the Demon Realm. The more time it takes for us to get there, the more likely something bad will happen to him. And if he gets hurt, I'll never be able to forgive myself. Please..."

Little Bastard saw how sad he was, and he shook his head. He grabbed the sides of Christian's mouth and tried to stretch them into a smile, but it didn't work. He clapped his hands and bubbles came out. He pointed at them and laughed, obviously expecting Christian to laugh too, but he just stared at him with dull eyes.

_Smile...? _The thought crossed Christian's head, but he shook his head. "My friend took my smile with him," he said dejectedly. Steve and Adam watched the scene quietly, just letting Christian work his magic on the demon.

Little Bastard patted Christian's head, looking sad himself. _I'll take you to him. I'll bring you to your friend. But... you have to think about him. Just about him. I don't know where he is, but I can find him based on your feelings._

"That won't be hard; it seems he's all I think about now," he whispered. Christian stood up and said, "They can come too?"

Little Bastard nodded. _One condition._

"Name it," Christian answered.

_You have to come back here one day, with him, and you both have to smile for me. _Little Bastard stretched his arms far apart. _Big smiles_.

"I can do that," he said.

_And bring the twitchy one; he's fun to play with. I don't like the big guy._

"He has that effect on people," Christian replied. He turned to his comrades and said, "He'll take us."

_I can't help you if you get caught, _Little Bastard warned them, _If another demon catches your scent, I will leave you three to their whims. I cannot get involved with them._

His cowardice didn't faze any of the three. They'd find a way out somehow. All that mattered was that they had a way in.

*************

Matt stood in his room all day, unwilling to try the maze outside. Despite his curiosity, he didn't want to get lost, and he definitely didn't want someone leading him around. He wasn't sure how anything worked, so, for the most part, he spent the day thinking about his choice to come here.

He belonged here, that he was sure of. He was dangerous, a demon: how could he subject everyone around him to his issues controlling the power inside him? And Adam and Christian already had one family member they had to kill: what if he was the next one? It would've been selfish to stay.

But what about him? Was Matt supposed to forget everything he knew and just give into this place, to Mark? Was it really inevitable, what he was going to become?

"Yes." He looked up and saw Mark at his door. "It is inevitable. But it's not as bad as you make it out to be. Power. Authority. Isn't it enough for you?"

"What if I don't turn evil?"

"Evil? But what is evil, Matthew?" Mark sat next to him on the bed. "Is a lion evil for eating a gazelle? It's normal, to the lion, but to the gazelle, it's murder. Are humans evil for eating meat? What about when they destroy thousands of trees just for strip malls and sports arenas?" He put a hand on Matt's shoulder. "Many animals thank _us _because we destroy the humans that would've destroyed them or their homes or their food."

"But you... _we _aren't natural..." Matt tried, but Mark laughed.

"What is natural, Matthew? You and I were born the normal way, we were raised the normal way... are we unnatural because we have a few more gifts than the rest of humanity? You murder cows, chickens, pigs... humans are animals too. How are they exempt from the natural order?"

"Because you murder to murder," Matt snapped, "I use the meat; you ordered an innocent child's murder..."

"If you're talking about Jeffrey, he's far from innocent. Don't you know? It's his fault I found you and my usurper. He set off the chain of events that led to here. I guess I should've thanked him, but... he was holding you back. He needed to die." Suddenly, Mark grabbed Matt's cheeks and stared into his eyes. "Why haven't you eaten?"

"What?"

"You're hungry." He let him go and snapped his fingers, a plate of soup appearing in his hands. He handed Matt the bowl and said, "Eat."

_**Sweet Persephone...**_

Matt stared at the bowl, the words ringing in his head. Who was Persephone? Why did he keep thinking of the name? Mark looked from him to the soup and said, "Do you want something else? I can get you anything, just ask for it."

Matt grabbed the spoon, and the two words rang in his head again. He looked at Mark and saw how he was staring at him, and he knew something was wrong. He saw his reflection in the soup, and, suddenly, it hit him.

Persephone was a goddess in Greek mythology who was kidnapped and brought to the Underworld. Just before she could escape, she ate a few pomegranate seeds, and that doomed her to making the Underworld her home.

_"As soon as this place becomes a little more like home, then we'll talk about your future."_ Matt wondered if eating here would push him a little closer to what Mark wanted him to be. He wasn't sure of anything anymore; he knew he didn't want to hurt his friends, but did he really want to become a Demon Master? Did he really want to become Mark?

Mark chuckled, seeing his thoughts. He slapped Matt's back and said, "I see. I don't know why you're so reluctant; eventually, you're going to get hungry. Eventually, you're going to have to eat. And when that happens, well... that's just one step closer. Soon, you won't even recognize yourself. You'll be keener, stronger... no one will ever hurt you again."

"I don't want to be stronger or keener!" Matt snapped,"I don't want to be the damned Demon Master!"

"It doesn't matter what you want; you are, irrevocably, my son, the next Demon Master. Nothing can change what you are." Mark felt something, and he shook his head. "Stew in your juices, if you wish... it won't change anything. Goodnight, Matthew." Mark disappeared, and Matt threw the bowl of soup against the wall. What the hell was he supposed to do? Was he just supposed to allow himself to become Mark? Or did he fight the 'inevitable?'

He wished things could be simple again, if only for one day.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	21. Tunnels of Blood

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**So, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy.**

**Warnings: The usual, plus sexual content**

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**Chapter Twenty-One: Tunnels of Blood**

Evan appeared in Matt's room, holding eggs and bacon, when he noticed how he looked. "You didn't sleep?" he asked softly.

Matt snapped around, not expecting to suddenly be with someone there. Then, he saw the food and said, "Tell your master I'm not hungry."

"You're my master, too," Evan said simply. He put down the food and said, "Why won't you eat?"

"You guys tainted it or something." Matt didn't take any chances- he didn't pull of the blanket, laid down, nothing. He just sat on the bed, Indian-style. It was no way to spend forever, but Matt didn't know what to do. He wanted to be here. He wanted to be with Adam and Christian. He wanted to protect his friends. He didn't want to be a demon master. But, it seemed, it didn't matter what Matt wanted.

Evan studied his master's face, wishing he could just go over there and see what he was thinking. But he had very little control over his powers; as of now, he could still only read memories through mouth-to-mouth contact. "We didn't taint it. We'd never hurt you, master."

"Will you stop calling me that?"

"No; you're my master." Evan stepped closer, "Are you okay? If you don't eat, you're not going to stay healthy for long. And it'll make it easier to breathe down here. I know once I ate..."

"I don't care!" Matt shouted, "I'm not eating until I damn well feel like it, and tell Mark I said that!"

Evan shivered a little, saddened by Matt's outburst, and he said, "Master didn't send me here. I'm here because of you. He told me about you, you know."

"Who?" Matt asked.

"The man who helped me realize who I was. The man with the bandages. He said you were going to make everything better for us... I wanted to serve you, make you comfortable while you become our Master, second to none."

"What man with the bandages?" The new information confused Matt; there was someone else involved? "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know much about him, but he helped me out. He's helping me learn to control my power," Evan said.

"What can you do?" Matt decided it was best to find out as much about the kid as possible, in case he needed it.

"I can't really tell you... but I can show you, if you want," Evan said earnestly.

"Um-" Matt was on guard now; what could he possibly do? His eyes trained on Evan's innocent face, and decided it couldn't be anything too harmful. "Sure." Evan smiled and sat on the bed, next to Matt. Then, next thing he knew, Evan's lips were against his, and a brief image of a garden went through his head. Evan moved away, smile still on his face, but Matt couldn't return it.

Someone used that very power on him not too long ago, but it wasn't a garden he saw. It was murder.

Matt looked into Evan's eyes, trying to figure out if there was any way this sweet, innocuous child could possibly be the demon from the future, the one who said that Christian and Adam would kill him. As Matt studied him with fear, Evan grew apologetic. "I didn't mean to scare you, Master," he said, "Really, I thought you'd like the image. My mother used to love flowers more than anything."

Evan moved closer, but Matt moved back, knowing full well that, even if Evan wasn't the same demon, he had the same power. "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry," Evan's eyes were wide with innocence, but Matt didn't know what to believe anymore. Evan moved back, not wanting to get too close. "What did I do wrong?" he asked softly.

Matt couldn't stay scared of him; it was impossible. It was like staying mad at a baby rabbit or something. He swallowed his fear, thinking that, even though they had the same power, he couldn't be the demon. There was just no way. "Guys don't kiss guys..." he started, but Evan looked down.

"You kissed _him_," he said, "He was a guy too."

"That was dif-" Matt looked at him, confusion dawning. "How do you know I kissed Christian?"

"When I gave you the garden image, I got that one from you. And a bunch of others. Why would you call your friend such a mean word?"

"What do you mean?" Matt asked.

"Well," his voice went down to a whisper. "The D word."

"The D word... oh, you mean Adam," Matt grew sadder, thinking about Adam. "It's an inside joke. He secretly likes it."

"He likes being called the D word? Wow, he's weird." Evan looked at Matt hopefully. "You're not mad at me, are you, Master?"

"No," Matt said, "No, I'm not." Evan smiled widely and said, "Thank you! Oh, I don't know what I would've done if you were mad at me, I mean, we just met..."

"Evan!" Matt exclaimed, "It's okay, it really is. I'm not mad at you." Evan nodded and said, "If you get hungry, just shout out for me!" Evan disappeared along with the plate, and Matt stared at the spot he left from. He wondered what else Evan saw from his mind.

*************

Christian, Adam, Steve, and Little Bastard appeared in a amphitheater, all of them falling to the floor. As they stood up, Little Bastard looked at Christian. _This is as close as I'll take you. I didn't know your friend was a favorite of the Master's. Just keep going down this corridor until you get to a room. You'll find him._

He disappeared, and Christian shouted, "A room? That's it? You little..." Suddenly, Christian felt a hand clamped around his mouth.

"Shh," Steve whispered, "We don't want them finding us before we can do anything." Christian nodded and Steve let him go. They began to walk down the corridor, pulling out their guns, ready for anything. "Keep together," Steve said, "If worse comes to worse, though, I want you two to go ahead and find Matt."

Shocked, Adam said, "But... you..."

Steve shook his head. "Longer that kid stays here, more chance something happened. And realize, we've been walking two minutes... that's probably like two _seconds_ on the outside. We got the bastard to bring us over around midnightish, one tops. If Matt's been here since he left you guys..."

"I can't do the math, but I don't like it anyway," Christian muttered. Then, the walls started moving. Christian blinked, to make sure he wasn't crazy, but they were still moving. Waving around like the sea. Then, the next thing they knew, they were in another corridor.

"I don't like this," Adam whispered.

"Fuck shit mother..." Steve cursed, "They know we're here."

****************

Raven felt the hair on the nape of his neck stand up. He sighed, knowing that his Master was angry about something. He hoped it wasn't Matt's refusal to eat; he actually expected it. After all, it wasn't like Matt was going to completely surrender to them overnight. He told Mark in the beginning, didn't he, that Matt needed to be completely broken first?

He appeared at his Master's side, seeing him angrily squeeze the sides of his table. "Yes, Master?" Raven asked.

"Stay with Matthew," he snapped, "We've got a traitor sending Nightstalkers down here. Last thing we need is Matthew seeing them before we've got him." Raven nodded, disappearing. Mark then tapped his fingers on the desk. He felt three presences... who was the third? He expected Adam and Christian, but not a third.

Well, he refused to take chances. "Kane," he said, commanding the fire demon to his side.

****************

Raven looked at Matt, who was pacing the room. "You know, Young Master," Raven said, "If you're bored, we could do something." Matt looked at him, eyes immediately filling with hate. Raven laughed and said, "You know, I think you don't understand that I'm probably the only person who can truly get you."

"Oh really?" Matt spat spitefully.

Raven nodded. "I was once a Nightstalker, just like you. And I was slowly getting my powers..."

"You killed your partner," Matt replied, "I'd never hurt them."

"Sure. I was once as absolute as you were too. I mean, yeah, my partner was annoying, but he was _my _partner. And I loved our other friends just as much... if not more," he added, thinking about his past. "Just like you, I tried to run... but you can't change what's meant to be. If I wasn't so sure it 'couldn't be true', and if the others hadn't came after me... well, my partner might be alive now. As for your partners..."

"Don't you dare talk about Adam and Christian!" Matt shouted.

"I'm just saying, speaking of dumb moves," Raven chuckled. "By the way, does Christian really _lurve _you, Young Master? How did it feel to use his pathetic little crush against him?" Raven reveled in Matt's growing anger, hoping to see another display of fire, but Matt held back. There was a hint of sadness in there. "You always hurt the ones you love... and especially the ones who love you, Matt. Don't you know?"

"I don't get it. You have me! What more do you want from me?" Matt asked. Raven shook his head. "Nuh uh, Master, not yet. You might be ours in body now, but not in mind, not in heart, and definitely not in spirit. You've got to give us your all... and we'll give you ours. Every single demon, all for you, if you'd just give in." Raven sat on the bed, almost staring through Matt. "It wouldn't be so bad. In fact, I think you'll find that you'll love our life, just like I have. You were born to lead us, so just... just do it. It's fate, Young Master; it's inevitable."

"If it were so inevitable," Matt answered, "Then why do you guys keep pushing me? If it were so inevitable, why do you keep trying to convince me? I think you're trying to convince yourself, and guess what? You're failing."

"Believe it or not, we're trying to protect you, Young Master. The longer you try to fight it, the more heartache, the more agony you'll face. As your faithful servants, we want to prevent that." Raven grinned again, and said, "And despite that little speech of yours, I can feel the turmoil in you. You fear what you're becoming. Two years ago, Matthew Moore Hardy would've never pointed a gun at anything, much less without remorse. Two years ago, you would have never been able to hold your own in fights against demons. Two years ago, you were weak, naive. Now look at you. Without your knowledge, each day that passed pushed you closer to being the next Demon Master."

"I'm protecting people..."

"...by killing," Raven finished for him, "You've learned to justify killing. You looked at the world, and saw it wasn't black and white; it's shades of varying gray, leaving room for moral ambiguity. You just haven't learned every thing about the world yet, but one day, you will. And you'll look back at this time in your life, and you'll laugh at how silly, how naive you really are."

"Fuck you, Raven," Matt snapped.

"The last ditch effort of a man who knows his argument's crumbled," Raven replied evenly. Matt stared back at him with contempt, trying to stubbornly deflect the speech, and Raven just laughed. Matt needed another push in the right direction, and with Adam and Christian here, well... by the end of the day, Matt would definitely be singing a different tune.

_That is, if Mark just kills them, of course._

* * *

"What do we do?" Adam asked, touching the wall hesitantly. They were further than before, now; they could be in any tunnel in the demon world, and who knew how many caverns actually existed?

"We keep going ahead," Steve answered, "And fucking pray that we're on the right track. Maybe we'll find a little shithead to get some information out of. We can't just stay still." They both nodded and the group walked forward. Christian felt no bubble of hope now; the corridors we almost identical, and Matt could be anywhere.

Suddenly, Steve stopped. He sniffed the air and said, "Boys, remember what I told you to do if worse came to worse."

Adam and Christian both took a moment to sniff the air, and they understood. "Steve..." Christian said.

"Go a fucking head." Steve dug in his bag and pulled out a machete before throwing his bag at Adam. "And take that. There's nothing in there that'll be of use to me." He saw their hesitance, and Steve barked, "Fuck me, you idiots! He's your partner; I'm one of the greatest fucking hunters of our time. I don't need you, he does. Go find him!"

Adam and Christian exchanged a glance, and nodded. "Be careful," Adam said, before they began running.

"I'm a tougher son of a bitch than that," Steve muttered. He looked around, walking slowly the other way, closer to the smell of ashes that usually accompanied the Fire Demon. "I know you're here, Kane! Show your ugly fucking mug!"

It happened within seconds. Steve hardly had time to jump back. A giant flame combusted directly in front of him, burning despite the fact that there was nothing to burn. Anyone of a lesser caliber would've been incinerated, but Steve wasn't just anybody. Steve struggled to his feet as slow, heart piercing thumps came from within the flames, telling him that the Fire Demon was stalking him.

Kane emerged out of the fire, completely unharmed. The fire licked his skin like an obedient dog, waiting to do his bidding. But the true fire burned in his bone chilling eyes, showing the blood lust coursing through Kane's veins.

Steve wasn't afraid. He didn't know when he lost his fears. Maybe it was when he was first dragged into hunting. Maybe it was when his partner, Dwayne, died way before his time. Or maybe it was countless times Steve fought, facing trials that seemed insurmountable, but somehow still surviving and winning, that banished fear from his mind. If this was the way he was to die, this was how he wanted it: kicking ass and taking names to the very end.

Kane moved closer, fire coming with him as it revolved around his arms. "Steve Austen," he said, his voice like the flames he commanded, smoldering and destructive, "It's a pleasure."

"I wish I can say the same, but I just feel disgusted, looking at that ugly mug," Steve answered.

Kane snickered, and then the fire concentrated in his hands, becoming the shape of a blade. "I wonder how many jokes you'll make when I take your head." Kane swung the flaming weapon at Steve, and he jumped back. Steve's gun was useless; he knew that Kane could just burn the bullets. In fact, he could just burn Steve, but he loved giving a sporting chance, all for the reward of seeing the fire die from a worthy adversary's eyes. Steve needed some kind of opening, a time where he could use his machete to incapacitate him, then he could get a shot at Kane's center.

The next blow came faster than the first and Steve dodged again, but he ended up going straight into Kane's free, moving fist. The blow hurt immensely; it was like getting hit with a hot skillet. Steve fell to the floor, dropping his machete, and barely rolled away from the fire sword as it pierced the ground where his stomach used to be.

Steve lunged for his machete, but Kane anticipated that, kicking him violently in the midsection and pushing him further from the weapon. Steve ignored the pain shooting through his body and avoided the flame sword as it was thrown at him again. The fire that appeared in the cave began to spread, reflecting how eager Kane was getting about the fight.

Steve had to forget the machete for now, it seemed. Until he could find a way around Kane and his flaming weapon, all he could do was dodge. Sensing the plan in Steve's mind, Kane's eyes burned as the corridor behind Steve came alive with an incendiary blaze, cutting off his escape route, making a ring around them. But Steve could only chuckle; he knew Kane would be no easy fiend to defeat.

Kane let out a fierce barrage of blows, and Steve dodged, making the most of the little space he had. The intensity was tangible from both men; Steve wouldn't die, and Kane wouldn't let Steve live. It was a death match, both unwilling to back down.

Steve kept dodging, knowing he'd eventually tire out, but still trying to measure his man. The problem was, this was Kane's home, and he had the advantage. No water, nothing to quench the blazing weapon that was attacking him, or the flames that trapped him within Kane's sights.

Even if he didn't come out of this alive, he would keep the bastard busy long enough to give Adam and Christian an edge. He knew what it felt like, to lose a partner... he couldn't let them feel the pain as well. And they were the future, while Steve was getting older, closer to leaving the prime of his life.

If anyone shouldn't leave this excursion alive, it was him. And he was okay with that.

***************

"**Adam and Christian...**" the man in bandages muttered, his voice laced with hatred. He had seen what Adam and Christian could do, should they be allowed to live. There were three possible futures he saw. One, the most desired outcome, was that the two should die in the caves, and their deaths would snap something within Matt. The second, being that future Matt saw, where Adam and Christian completely betray Matt, would cause a lot more suffering for Matt, and it was only a backup. Of course, there was a third, but the man knew he could not let it come to _that_.

Adam and Christian needed to die, and he couldn't trust Mark to take care of the task. Maybe a group of Lingus Demons could work very well...

****************

Adam and Christian kept walking, guns at the ready. After they left Steve, the loud boom almost made Adam go back, but Christian grabbed him and kept him on the right path. If they went back, all they'd do was get in Steve's way.

Neither of the brothers could tell you how long they were walking. It could have been minutes, hours... all they knew was that it all seemed the same, and there was no sign of Matt, or of anything.

"Hey Christian," Adam said, "Have I ever told you I loved you?"

"No."

"Well, good. No need to get mushy at a time like this."

Christian smiled softly. "You are such a dick, Adam."

"And you're an asshole." They kept walking until loud barks filled the air. They whipped around, hearing the sound of claws scratching against the floor, the barks and sounds coming closer.. "What does he have in the bag, Adam?" Christian asked, "Anything that can help?"

Adam opened it. "We've got guns, some hunting knives... yes! You can always count on him!" He pulled out a bottle of vodka, and Christian looked at him, confused.

"Now's not the time for that!" Christian snapped.

"Oh, ye of little faith," Adam said, pouring out half the bottle. He ripped off a piece of his shirt and attached it to the bottle, and then he pulled out a box of matches. "Have you ever heard of a Molotov cocktail?" As soon as the monstrous Lingus demons' eyes came into sight, Adam lit the piece of his shirt and hurled it towards them.

The explosion was impressive, the three Lingus demons in the front immediately burning to a crisp. Those in back warily looked at the flames, but still howled menacingly. "This'll only work for a while," Adam said, taking out one of the smaller of Steve's guns, "Christian, go ahead. I'll catch up with you when they're dead."

"Adam, let me stay with you," Christian said, "We can kill them quicker together, I know it..."

"Yeah, but Matt needs one of us now," Adam said, "And I'm a better shot than you." They locked eyes, and Adam smiled at his younger brother. Christian nodded in acknowledgment and began running ahead. He could only hope that Matt was close, and that Adam would be alright.

***************

Matt sat on the floor of his room, refusing to be near Raven. Raven allowed him to sulk while he mentally felt out the intruders. Kane was taking care of Austen, and Adam was about to face a herd of Lingus demons. Christian was unattended to, but he could feel more fear from Christian than he could from either of the other two.

He read Christian's fears like a book, smiling at each and every dreaded thought flitting through his head. Oh, playing with Christian could be so much fun. And, since Mark wasn't handling the little blondie, Raven would. He knew Mark said to stay with Matt, but it's not like Matt had anywhere to go. Right now, their priority was to make sure Matt's ex-partners were dead.

"I must leave for now, Young Master," Raven said, catching Matt's attention, "But I'll return with a gift for you." _Christian's pretty little head, of course. _

Matt stared at the spot Raven vanished from, wondering what was going through the Nightmare Demon's head. All he knew was that it couldn't be good.

*************

Christian walked through each winding tunnel, hoping to get some clue as to where Matt was, someone to get the information from, but it seemed there was no one here.

"Christian." Christian looked up and put down his gun, completely taken aback at the sight. There, standing in front of him, was Matt, looking the same way as he last saw him. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think, dummy?" Christian asked, walking forward. He smiled in relief, seeing Matt completely unharmed. "I told you, you're our partner. We weren't going to let you just give yourself up. We're here to rescue you." Christian threw his arms around him. "God, I'm glad to see you're alright."

"Where's Adam?" Matt asked, returning the hug.

"Back there," he said, "Come on, I think we can help him fight..." Christian's eyes widened as Matt's fingers dug into his back, pulling his fingers down and ripping skin. He screamed as Matt left bleeding red scratches in his wake.

"I mean more to you than your own brother," Matt hissed, pushing Christian away, "How very _sweet_."

"What's going on?" Christian cried out, feeling the scars on his back weep blood.

"Oh come on, Christian, even you can't be that stupid." Matt walked forward and his eyes turned completely black, holding Christian's blue with their gaze.

"I don't believe it," Christian said, shaking his head in denial. Matt sniggered and grabbed Christian's wrist, the one holding the gun. Before he could do anything, the sound of it breaking filled the air. Christian yelped again, the gun hitting the floor.

"Believe it," he hissed. He grabbed Christian by the neck and threw him into the wall. Christian wheezed at the impact, falling to his knees.

"No," Christian said, "I know you..."

Matt grabbed him by the neck again and slammed him into the wall, holding him in place. "The Matt you knew never existed. It was all a lie, Christian. I'm a demon, and you're my prey."

"Matt, this isn't you..." Christian gasped out, "Stop..."

"Are you really this pathetic?" Matt asked angrily, squeezing Christian's throat in a tight vice grip. Christian's hands flew up to Matt's, trying to pull it off, but he couldn't. "_This isn't you, stop!_" He mimicked, "Damn, Christian, I'm killing you! Do something! Or are you too blind to believe I'm a demon?" Matt's face came closer, inches away from Christian's. "Or maybe the problem is that you can see, and you like what you're looking at. You think I'm gorgeous, don't you?"

Matt pushed his lips into Christian's, violently exploring his mouth. Christian groaned in pain as his lip ripped open from Matt's assault, but the intense kiss stirred something within him. Matt was fully aware of Christian's inner turmoil as he moved away, grinning evilly. "Oh, that's it. You have too much of an erection over me to kill me." He ran a finger along Christian's lip, spreading the blood, coating his mouth with it. "That's so sad, Christian... because I really have no problem killing you."

Matt removed some of the pressure from Christian's neck, allowing him to breathe. "Come on, Christian, do something," Matt goaded, "You don't want to die, do you?"

"Not... Matt..." he finally said, breathing deeply, "You're... not... Matt..."

"Then who am I?" Matt asked smugly, "Look at me, Christian. I'm the demon you so stupidly fell in love with. You just so easily believed that I was good, not questioning me for a minute... Christian, I laugh at you every time I think of how easy it was to manipulate you."

"I... don't care," Christian said, looking absolute, "You might look like Matt... but you're not him..."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Stupid, stupid Christian. Maybe I should beat some sense into you before I kill you."

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	22. Inevitable

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**So, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy.**

**Warnings: The usual**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Inevitable**

It kind of scared Steve that his biggest wish was that he could wipe the sweat from his face.

Of course, it would make it a lot easier to see. The droplets were blurring his vision, and he wanted to see Kane, fully able to see the man who could be his killer. The flame blade kept swinging closer and closer, blaze nearly licking Steve's face.

Kane didn't need to speak; he was a man of the hunt, and joking, to him, would diminish the honor of it. He took a step forward and thrust the sword towards Steve. Steve's back hit the cave walls this time, the feeling of the sharp rocks making him wince. He couldn't scream. Weakness wasn't an option here, not if he wanted a fighting chance.

Kane's foot connected with Steve's gut, making him almost bow, struggling for air. Kane's hand hit the back of Steve's neck, and Steve's eyes rolled back; he could feel the skin sizzling, could smell the smoke coming from what used to be his neck skin. His knees hit the floor, and all he could think about was barbecque.

_Congratulations, dumbass. You're about to die and you're thinking about steak. _Suddenly, the fire sword was inches from his neck, and he heard, "Look at me, Austen."

Steve looked up, eyes meeting Kane's. The inferno he saw was dying, and Kane was out of fight mode. "It's almost a shame," Kane whispered, "I expected so much more from you. But what one do? No matter what, you'll always just be human." He looked like he was thinking for a moment, and then he said, "I guess if you begged, I could spare you. Perhaps you could live to fight another day, become worthy of a rematch..."

"Let me stop you there," Steve said, hand scratching against the floor, "I'm willing to beg, buddy... but I don't think it'll do anything to help. Just face it; you've got a hopelessly deformed mug."

Kane grinned. "Even in the face of certain death, you're still mouthy. I guess no one taught you humility."

"Who needs humility?" Suddenly, Steve grabbed the blade with his bare hand, pushing it away. The smell and pain reminded Steve of his humanity, but he ignored it as he threw a handful of dirt in Kane's eyes.

Kane staggered back, and Steve took the opportunity to dive for his own machete. His left hand, the one he grabbed the flame sword with, was blackened and useless now, but all he needed was one hand to grab the machete.

Steve turned around and brought the machete up as Kane, eyes wide with anger, swung his sword down. The metal blocked the flames, allowing Steve to dance away, and put up his own offensive. Although he was still at a disadvantage, it wasn't just dodge, like before; now he could fight back.

The machete and the blazing sword clashed, flames dancing around the impact. Steve then switched his maneuver, slamming Kane with the hilt of the machete. Kane stumbled back, but recovered quickly, thrusting within seconds.

******************

Adam shot at the first Lingus to jump beyond the dying line of fire caused by the Molotov Cocktail. The bullet hit the creature's head, but had no effect on him. Adam cursed, trying to remember anything about this creature as the others began to follow, bravened by his action.

It hit him; their weakness was their neck. Adam threw himself to the end of the wall and shot at the side of the one's neck. Blood flew out and the dog slumped onto the floor. But the others caught his change of direction, running at him.

He counted seven in total. The odds weren't the best, but it could be worse. Adam threw Steve's bag, and it hit the leading Lingus, knocking him off balance. Using it to his advantage, Adam ran out of the corner and shot a volley of bullets into the dogs. Most didn't make their marks, but two bullets went through one Lingus' neck, and a third lodged itself inside the throat of another Lingus. A choking noise came from the Lingus' mouth before it crumbled onto the floor.

Adam threw the empty gun at the first dog to turn, and as it's head went up, Adam aimed his other gun at his neck. However, another Lingus jumped over it's fallen comrade and jumped on Adam, paws pushing into his chest. The giant claws scratched through Adam's chest, making him cry out.

Adam's back hit the floor emphatically, but he composed himself quickly and pushed the gun into his neck, shooting more bullets than was necessary. He wanted to control himself, but the claws just hurt too much. Blood spilled onto his face and neck, drenching him in the putrid red liquid.

Adam ripped the claws out of his chest, but then felt teeth rip into his arm. He screamed as another bit his leg, and a third caught his midsection. Adam grabbed the claws with his free hand and stabbed them into the neck of the one biting into his elbow. Suddenly, the world went cold: the Lingus biting his midsection ripped off a chunk of his flesh.

Adam could only see white in that moment. He wanted to embrace the oblivion, but soon he was back on Earth, bleeding from his chest. All he could feel was the pain, the unbearable feeling of thousands of needles in his body. He raised his gun, hoping he could do something, anything, anything that could save his life.

_I hope Christian's doing better than this..._

* * *

Christian hit the floor emphatically, breathing erratically. Christian tried to move, but Matt- well, not Matt, Christian knew he couldn't be Matt- caught him quickly, stomping into his chest. Christian's breath escaped his throat in a squeak, making this imposter, this demon with his Matt's face, chuckle.

"Want me still?" he asked, straddling Christian's chest. His nails bit into his shoulders, making blood spill out. "Want me still, Christian?"

Christian wanted to protect himself, to hurt this fake, but couldn't- all he could see was the familiar brown eyes, the ones he stared into many times, and wished he could wrap his arms around the owner. Wished he could protect him from everything, from every single person that threatened to drag him down into the darkness.

Reading his mind, Matt chuckled. "Are you mad, Christian? Mad that I'm... this? Mad that all this time, you couldn't see that I was nothing but a monster? Isn't it your job to kill me, Christian? Do something!"

Matt slapped Christian across the face. "Will you let yourself die? What about Adam, Christian? What about your brother? Tell me, you stupid fuck, would you rather let me kill you and leave Adam alone than attack me?"

"Where's Matt?" Christian asked.

"I _am _Matt, Christian!" Matt got off of him, grabbing him by the front of the shirt, before slamming his head against the floor. "You might not want it to be true, but it is. I am Matt, I am the one who kissed you just so I can run away to my real home, my real family. My real father."

"Fuck you," Christian snapped, "You don't know anything about Matt, you can't fool me..."

"You're fooling yourself." Matt let him go, walking around him, like an animal sizing up it's prey. "You descended into hell, no idea if you could get out alive, all because" Matt put his hand on his chest, bringing it up and slapping it down like the beat of a heart. "You want me. You want me, of all people, the very person whose about to kill you. But then again, you don't have a good record with trusting people, do you?"

Matt leaned down, wrapped his hand around Christian's neck, and lifted him easily. Christian struggled, but was powerless as Matt slammed him against the wall. "Your daddy pushed you against the wall," Matt said, "Your own father choked you, leaning in, preparing himself for the kill... you're just easily fooled."

Matt's head bent forward, breath on Christian's neck, teeth almost touching his neck. All Christian could think about was that day, nearly a decade ago, when he came home, and his father began yelling at him. Christian was so sure he did something wrong, something to deserve this- and then he slapped him. He called him a stupid child, and suddenly he was against the wall, his father's long fingers wrapped around his neck.

"You killed your father," Matt whispered, teeth grazing his throat, "Kill me, Christian. Try. Try to survive. Prove that you're not this pathetic." Matt pushed his pelvis into Christian's, and Christian closed his eyes, wanting not to feel such agonizing torment and such sweet bliss at the same time.

"Would you rather have me, if only once, than live?" Matt asked, "You said you'd die for me, Christian. Tell me, would you really die _for_ me?"

Christian was thrown again, this time in the direction of his gun. "Pick it up," Matt said. Christian pushed himself onto his knees, looking at the gun. "Pick it up!" Matt screamed, "I'm your enemy! Fight me!"

Christian grabbed the gun and turned around, looking at Matt as he stood up. "You're wrong, you know."

Matt chuckled, crossing his arms. "I am? Explain that one to me. Go ahead, I want to hear this. How am I wrong?"

"You won't get it," Christian said.

"Try me." Matt's eyes challenged him, and Christian met those eyes. They might have been the same, but they weren't Matt's.

"I do think Matt is the most beautiful person I've ever met," he said, "But it has nothing to do with the way he looks. I could care less. You and your kind have ripped away his family, his friends, his very life. You have pushed him lower than I've ever seen anyone go. But Matt can still laugh, still smile, still love. He never let you break him. And that's why I love him. I don't want him; I love him."

Matt shook his head. "And just when I thought you couldn't get more pathetic."

"See? Told you; you don't get it." Christian raised the gun. "And that's why you're the pathetic one." Christian let out one round, and Matt watched as the bullet flew far away from where he was, hitting a wall.

"Is that the best you could do?" Matt asked, staring at the indent.

Christian shook his head. "You still don't get it." Christian pushed the burning mouth of the gun to his arm, shutting his eyes to the pain. He wrenched the gun away and opened his eyes: as he thought, the fake Matt was gone. "Where are you, Raven?" he shouted out, "I saw through your bullshit, you pathetic bastard, now come out!"

"You know, you were afraid you were wrong." Christian turned around and saw Raven leaning against the wall. "You were afraid that the person in front of you was actually Matt." Raven pushed off the wall, walking forward. "Not many people realize all it'll take is some real pain to break the spell. It's amazing what your mind can do to you... I never laid a hand on you, yet your hand is broken, your back is ripped to shreds, you're bleeding from various places... and all I did was lean against that wall."

"Where is he?" Christian asked, pointing the gun at Raven.

"He's at his home, in his room, resting up," Raven answered, "He chose to come here, Christian. Chose to leave you."

"Tell me where exactly or I'll kill you," Christian said, his finger pushing against the trigger.

Raven opened his hands out, almost saying what you're going to do. Christian, in response, pulled the trigger, to shoot a warning shot, but the bullet did something incredible: instead of going out the other way, it ripped through the back of the gun, embedding into Christian's chest. He fell back, his world growing dark.

"Word of advice," Raven said, as Christian lost conscious, "Everyone fears their gun backfiring on them." Raven bent down, prepared to rip Christian's throat out and end his miserable existence, when suddenly, a word went through his system.

_"Stop."_

Kane looked up, trying to find his Master, knowing the voice to be his. Steve tried to take advantage of the stop, but Kane put a wall of fire between himself and the hunter, his own game less important than his Master's whims.

_"Stop."_

The remaining Lingus demons stopped chewing on Adam's half conscious body, heads raised, ready to obey their Master's orders.

_"Stop."_

"Why?" Raven asked, "I have him! Let me kill him!"

_"Don't question me, Raven._"

Raven gritted his teeth, lamenting on how easy he could put a permanent end to Christian. He had very little life left in his body, and one blow could take it away.

"What are your orders, Master?" Raven asked.

"_I want the blond ones... Matt's partners... brought to my room. Now. You may finish the third, if you wish, but the blond ones are to be brought here."_

Raven picked up Christian, throwing the boy over his shoulder. He could feel Christian's faint heartbeat, still too strong for his wishes. "This better be good," he grumbled, "Let's go collect your brother."

******************

"Matthew." Matt looked up, seeing Mark at the doorway. "Come with me. I have a surprise for you."

"If it's more of your hospitality, I pass," Matt muttered.

"Well, my child, hospitality only applies to people who don't live there." Matt glared, but Mark just laughed. "Come along; I think you would want to see this."

As much as Matt didn't trust Mark, he was slightly interested. He stood up and said, "What is it?"

"You'll see." Mark moved until he was in front of Matt and then held out a hand. Matt grabbed it, unsure but willing to see what this was about. His knees buckled as they appeared in another room- this one more bare than Matt's own. This one had a table in it, littered with various objects, and a large seat, almost like a throne. "This is my room," Mark said, "The one I use for business. Such as this."

Raven appeared, Christian on one shoulder, Adam on the other. They were both bloodied, bruised, and practically dead. Matt tried to go forward, towards them, but Mark grabbed his shoulder, holding him back. "Wake them up," he ordered.

Raven threw Adam on the floor, effectively getting some sense back into him. The world began to refocus, and Adam saw Matt, being held back. Matt fought against Mark's hold, but it was too strong: all he could do was look at his destroyed friends. "Matt," he said, closing his eyes. It was like a nightmare, feeling the pain of each bite, of each scratch. Saliva was on the untouched skin, saliva and blood, both his and that of the Lingus demons.

Raven was using his power to keep Adam awake, knowing what Adam wanted most was to close his eyes, to go to sleep. Now, he had to wake up Christian. It wouldn't be as easy; the bullet pretty much took Christian out of commission. "He's nearly dead," Raven said, as Christian's body hit the floor.

Mark rolled his eyes and focused, sending his energy to Christian. In a matter of seconds, the bullet popped out, and the gun wound closed. Christian blinked, the unbearable pain from before still there. He got up to his knees, feeling each excruciating wound. His hand went to his chest, but the wound was gone.

"Christian?" Christian looked up at Adam, seeing the mask of blood, the scratches, and the missing part of his abdomen.

"Adam," Christian said mournfully. Raven gripped his shoulder and forced him to look forward, and his eyes widened, seeing Matt. "Matt!"

"You fucking..." Matt pulled against Mark's arm. "Let me go!"

"You listen here," Mark said, making Matt look at Christian and Adam, "See your friends? Just as easily as I brought Christian back, I can kill him. Same for Adam. I could make it long and painful, make them suffer for years before they finally die. Or I could just end them like Jeff and Gilbert Hardy."

Matt fought against the hold, but to no avail. "I won't let you..."

"You can't stop me. You have no control over your power; you don't even want it. You don't want to be one of us." Mark nodded at Raven, who kicked Adam brutally, sending the mauled young man to the floor.

"Adam!" Christian said. He tried to get up, but it was like a force was holding him down. Adam was pulled back on his knees, but was soon immobile, just like Christian. Matt's eyes went from Adam to Christian, Christian to Adam.

"I left to protect you," he whispered, looking at them, "I swear, if I thought-"

"You want to protect them?" Mark asked, "You want to keep them safe? I'll make it so they're off limits; I can protect them from all demons. They can live full lives. Choose, Matthew. Your friends will be safe, you will be happy, powerful... just give in. Choose us. Choose the part of yourself you're denying. Fully accept this place as your home, and me as your father, or I will kill them."

Matt looked at Christian, at Adam. Frozen in the moment, wondering how they ended up here, why this had to happen to them. "I promised, didn't I?" he said softly. "For you guys... anything." He turned to face Mark, hearing the word _inevitable_ ringing through his ears, in both Raven's and Mark's voices. "What do you want me to do?" he asked softly.

He heard his name, but he wasn't sure who said it. He just kept eye contact with Mark, telling him silently that he was giving up. Mark smiled and held his hand up, a cup appearing in his hand. "Just drink. Saying this is your home is one thing, but actually treating it as home is another. Take the first step. Drink."

Matt took the cup, looking in it. The liquid was black, tar-like... it scared him, a little. But he had to do it. He turned back to Christian and Adam, and seeing them, close to death, strengthened his resolve. He smiled weakly and said, "You guys did everything for me... I have to return the favor."

"Matt..." this time, he knew who said it. It was Christian. Matt looked at him and said, "I'm sorry for everything."

"You haven't done anything to apologize for," Adam answered. There was a silence, and then Matt broke it with a quiet, soft whisper.

"I love you both."

"You're stalling," Raven murmured, breaking the scene between the friends. Matt nodded and raised the cup. "To your health," Matt said, looking at Adam and Christian. And they were powerless to do anything but watch as Matt swallowed every last drop of the vile concoction, virtually promising himself to his fate.

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	23. Promises are Forever

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**So, thanks for the reviews. This chapter will be confusing, partly because I won't completely explain what's happening to Matt yet. But I hope you enjoy anyway.**

**Warnings: The usual**

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**Chapter Twenty-Three: Promises are Forever**

It was possibly the sweetest thing Matt ever tasted.

Nothing compared to it. That's probably why Matt couldn't describe it; it transcended even his favorite foods. Maybe liquid life would be the most appropriate way to think about it; unlike it's scary appearance, it made Matt feel more alive than ever.

As soon as it was all down, the sensation disappeared- and was replaced by total revulsion. Matt dropped the cup, knees buckling as the room began to spin. He could tell Christian and Adam were watching, worried, and he wanted to say something to assure them he was alright, but he couldn't muster the energy.

He fell to his knees and put his hand near his mouth, trying to breathe. He heard his name being screamed, but all he could think about was how ill he felt, how his stomach hurt. Then, he threw up, a black, putrid goo falling through his fingers onto the floor. It kept coming out, and Matt put his hands on the ground, trying to steady himself.

Christian and Adam watched, frightened and worried, unable to do anything but stare. Raven watched also, mesmerized, wondering what was happening. Only Mark seemed completely undisturbed by what was unfolding in front of him, watching with a smug grin. Finally, Raven said, "Is he alright, Master?"

"He's purging himself of everything he doesn't need," Mark answered. Christian and Adam exchanged a glance; they didn't have the healthiest of diets, so they couldn't imagine that this was any easy for Matt. Then, Mark said, "This is actually the simple part." They looked at him, trying to see if he was telling the truth. He looked serious, so they had no choice but to believe him.

Matt stopped spewing, the dark liquid spreading on the floor, soaking his hands and legs. He didn't seem to care. Raven was so intrigued by it that he let Adam and Christian go from their binds, walking around Matt, looking at the young man just kneeling in the puke. He was immobile, it seemed, just staring into the vomit. Raven tried to feel for Matt's nightmares and fears, but there Raven looked at his master, wondering if something went wrong, but Mark seemed perfectly pleased.

Adam got up first, walking to Matt. Adam could feel all his bites as he moved, but he tried his best to ignore the pain. "Matt?" he asked. "Matt..." He knelt down, making sure to miss the puke, to see what was wrong with his friend. Then, Matt looked up, his eyes as black as the pool he was kneeling in. Adam's eyes widened as Matt's mouth opened, suddenly laughing.

The shrill, manic laughter filled the room. Christian fought his own injuries to move closer, trying to understand why his friend was just laughing like that. Matt got up onto his knees, and then slowly stood, body still racking with the uncharacteristic laughing. Adam stood up, looking into Matt's new eyes, trying to find his friend in them. "Matt?" he asked.

Matt stopped laughing and looked at Adam, grinning. "Can you hear them?" It didn't sound like Matt. In fact, it didn't sound like one person at all; it was like many people speaking at once. Each voice was male, deep, and chilling.

"Hear who?" he asked.

"Them." Matt rubbed the dark vomit between his fingers. "I did that. I'm the reason they're screaming... it's such a sweet melody, no?"

"Matt," Christian said, "Matt, no one's screaming. What're you talking about?"

As if he couldn't hear him, Matt swirled around. "The sounds mixing so well together... loud, high pitched female cries... lower, more rich male ones... the tears of children, lacking maturity but sounding so vibrant and fearful... can't you hear them? I did that. I made them scream. So beautiful."

Adam reached for Matt's hand, but, as soon as he touched the black slime, he screamed. He quickly withdrew his hand, a fresh red mark there, as if the slime tried to digest him or something. But Matt seemed unharmed by it, his wicked smile still plastered over his face as he talked about the screams.

"And the blood!" Matt giggled again, but this time, unlike his first laugh, it was all the voices that replaced his. "So red, so vividly red, redder than any rose... no artist could do it justice. This is true art. True beauty." Matt lifted his hand up, studying the black slime, as if he thought it was blood staining his hand. "So red, so beautiful." He licked his hand, and both friends held back their repulsed reactions.

"Master..." Raven said, looking at Mark.

"He's going insane for a little. A mechanism of the mind to handle the changes right now." Mark said, "It'll clear up soon."

"But..."

_Just watch and stay out of Matt's way._ Raven looked at Mark, confused, but he just nodded. Raven took a step back and just observed the scene unfold in front of him.

Christian stepped forward, studying him. "Matt, listen to me," he said, "You're in there, right?"

Matt stared at him before holding his hands out, looking down at them, and then back at Christian. As soon as his eyes met Christian's frightened ones, he laughed again. "What do you mean? Are you in you? What kind of question is that?" He pointed at himself, pushing his finger into his chest as he said each next word. "I am me." He grinned, but the next words didn't match with the grin. "I'm the self deprecating, self hating vengeful young man who hates everyone and loves them at the same time. I resent not having a normal life, but I resent normal life! I hated having to leave school to support my family, and I hated living with Adam and Christian, no matter how much I loved all of them. I fear who I am, and what I'm becoming, and none of you could ever understand, nobody but the person who ripped my family away from me, and guess what? That sucks!"

Still smiling, he jovially said, "Everyone I know lied to me, especially the people who claimed they loved me. My mom, my brother, Christian... all they do is lie. Lie. Lie lie lie lie lie... And I believed them. I _believed _them. Looney looney Mattie..." Matt fell onto his butt, laughing, and he began splashing in the dark puke. "Looney looney Mattie, so afraid of being the Demon Master, but _so _looking forward to it. No more pain. No more lies. Just... power."

"I know I lied," Christian said, "But... not because I wanted to, Matt, I had to! Look what it did to you!"

Mark chuckled, wondering what would happen if they stood here any longer. Maybe Matt would kill them; that would certainly keep his promise to him and get rid of the blond ones at the same time. The way Matt was going, it would happen anytime soon.

Matt kept laughing, and Christian said, "Matt, stop it. You don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't know anything," he sang out, "That's why I'm so damn easy to manipulate. Bend me, break me, anyway you need me..."

"Adam..." Christian looked at Adam, "What do we do?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. That obviously wasn't what Christian wanted to hear, and he looked at Matt, his heart breaking over everything he said. And he said it so innocently, but Christian could still tell that these were things really weighing on Matt's mind. He felt lied to, confused, betrayed, scared, and somewhat enticed... no wonder he thought he couldn't trust them with this.

"Red red blood..." Matt said, admiring the puddle, "deep, dark red, so beautiful. I made them bleed. I made them die. I'm the reason Adam and Christian die, me, and they both bleed such pretty red blood. Red red blood."

Christian walked into the puddle, trying to get closer to Matt. The dark liquid began ingesting his sneakers, making it hard to walk, but he got to him. He put his hand on Matt's cheek, bending down and looking into the dark eyes. It was like staring into the abyss, and he was afraid, but he looked in them anyway. "You're the reason I die?" he asked.

"You're the reason I die," Matt replied, echoing him, "You're going to kill me, then Adam's going to kill you, and then I'm going to kill Adam."

"That makes no sense," Christian said, confused.

"It's true. And I'm going to cry, cry because I love you and I hate you and I love Adam and I hate him and you both destroyed my spirit..."

"Matt, snap out of it!" Christian shouted.

"Leave me alone. You're not fun. You're a liar. Liar liar liar..." Matt chanted, knocking Christian's hand away.

"Just stop it and look at me!" Christian grabbed Matt's face, making him look at him. Matt's eyebrows went up, and, with the playful nature of before gone, his hands gripped Christian's arms. The black puke on his hands began to burn Christian, breaking down his skin. Christian's hands dropped, the pain unbearable with all his other wounds.

"Leave me alone!" he screamed. "Leave me alone!"

"I can't do that," Christian whispered, "I can't watch as you become this... you can't ask me to."

Matt pushed him away, sending him into Adam's arms. They both fell to the floor, Christian tumbling onto Adam. "I would've been better off if you just left me in the damn asylum!" Matt shouted, his new voice booming, "Then I never... I never would've had to meet you... fuck you! Fuck you!"

Mark's chair burst into flames, reflecting Matt's crazed anger. "You made me think I could be happy, you damn bastards, made me think I had a chance at revenge, but it was all a lie! I never had a chance! Liars liars liars!" Each time he said liars, the room literally shook, Matt's apparent instability paired with his power making a horrible combination.

"I'm sorry," Adam said softly, unsure of what else to do.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't change anything! Sorry's useless!" Matt clenched his fists as the earthquakes caused a little of the ceiling to fall. "I trusted you. I trusted you!"

"You can trust us," Christian answered.

"Liar!" Matt screamed, the ground shaking again, more rocks and dust spilling around them, making a cave in all but inevitable.

"No, I... I wanted to tell you every day. Every single day we were together, I wanted to tell you. But God Matt, I couldn't, and it hurt. You don't think it hurts me to see you like this? You don't think it hurts us?" Christian stood up, Adam getting up behind him. "Matt, if you keep up, you're going... you're going to kill us."

"Then _die_!" More rocks fell, and the threat of a cave in grew.

"You don't mean that." Christian shook his head. "You don't, and if we die, once you regain yourself, you'll feel bad. Because you're not a killer."

"I am! I am." Matt stared into Christian's eyes, and Christian couldn't even see Matt in there. His voice was different, the eyes were different... it was like he was another person. "I'm a killer, and you helped me become one, and soon, women and children and men and even babies... all dead... all me..."

"Not if you don't want to," Christian walked a little closer, seeing if Matt would react. When he didn't, he got bolder, walking into the dark mess again. This time, he could feel the rubber of the soles of his sneakers burn against his feet, and he nearly jumped out, but he kept walking. "You can do whatever you want. You don't have to be a killer."

"I am a killer." The voice was less angry, more resigned. "I'm going to make them bleed, make them hurt, make them _scream_. I'm going to turn the world to ash and there's nothing no one can do to stop me..."

"Says who? The future's not set in stone. And yes, there's something dark in you, but there's something dark in all of us. That's why we have friends... to face it together. That's why you have me." Christian put his hand on his shoulder. "As long as you need me, I'll find my way to you," he said, "Like now."

Matt stared at him for a moment, but then he screamed, "No!" He pushed Christian away again, stronger than ever, making him sprawl on the floor. "No no no no..."

Adam grabbed Christian's arm and helped him up as dust fell on their heads again. "Matt," Adam said, more desperate to save himself and his brother, "We're here for you; let us be here for you. Let us help you. You're not like Mark; you could never do what he's done. Never."

Matt put his hands on his ears, chanting no, more rocks falling. Adam squeezed Christian's hand, and Christian nodded. He said, "Please, Matt. Don't do this. You'll hate yourself if you do this."

Matt looked up, and Christian saw the darkness in his eyes fading, but then returning. Matt fell to his knees, still pounding his hands against his head. "Please." It was a soft whisper, but it was Matt's actual voice, not the echoing legion of voices. "Not them. I'll do anything... just not them."

Adam and Christian watched him, confused. Mark and Raven also stopped just watching and looked at him, surprised to hear Matt's actual voice again. Then, the chilling voices returned. "You can't run forever."

The reply was in Matt's own voice, "I know. Just... just give me time. I'll give myself in eventually... just give me time." Mark moved forward, ready to do something about Adam and Christian, but he was stopped by an invisible wall. Matt turned around, eyes completely dark, and the legion of voices screamed, "They're mine, you can't have them!"

"Was this supposed to happen?" Raven asked.

"I've never... no," Mark answered, "But then again, when I went through this, it was just me and my father."

Matt stood up, eyes flickering between his normal black ones and the brown ones. He looked at Adam, then at Christian. "You really burned yourself for me?" It was still the many voices, and Christian nodded. "I told you; if you need me, I'll be here. I'll find my way to you."

Matt nodded, and then looked at both of them. "You both understand that I'm a Demon Master, right? That even if we get out of here, I will eventually lead the demon world, right?" They nodded. "And do you accept it? Do you wholeheartedly accept the fact that I'm a Demon Master, and will you do nothing to stop me when I eventually return here?"

They glanced at each other, unsure of how to answer. Then, Christian said, "We accept you." Matt looked to Adam for confirmation, and he just nodded, showing he agreed with Christian.

Matt smiled, but this time, it seemed more ingenuous. He put one hand on Christian's forehead, and the other on Adam's. But instead of the puke ingesting them, they felt warm as the wounds on their bodies healed. Cuts sealed themselves, sinews pulling skin together, and burns healed. Adam's body regenerated where the dogs ripped off his skin, and the bones Christian's hand reset themselves. They blinked, unable to believe it, but Matt just kept smiling- and, with a wave of a hand, they were both gone.

Matt turned around and walked to Mark and Raven this time. "I don't need you," he said, the voices echoing, "Mark, one day, I will be exactly what you want me to be, but that day will be a day you'll regret. Because I'm going to kill you, Father."

Mark chuckled. "You're going to make a great Demon Master."

Matt just smirked, feeling his time running out. He turned to Raven and winked before disappearing himself.

Raven just stood there, watching the spot. "What just happened? Wasn't he supposed to get access to his powers? Wasn't his training to be our Master supposed to begin? Master..." Mark ignored him, just disappearing. Raven angrily stared at the spot Mark moved from. Things would've went smoothly if Mark had just killed Christian and Adam, but instead, there was this bump in the road. All because Mark was an idiot.

_"His reign is almost over, Raven. I just wonder whose side will you be on when he's finally on the ropes."_

Raven made up his mind. He was going to find Maryse as soon as possible. He knew whose side he was going to be on, and it wouldn't be that of the man who just got owned by a twenty year old.

* * *

Steve opened his eyes. One second, he was fighting for his life; the next, he was in Vickie's house, lying on her couch. He was about to get up but he felt someone push against his back. "Lie down," Eve said, keeping him there. "You've got some nasty burns; it'll take a while to heal."

"What happened?" he asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"Ask Vickie after I heal you," she said, "We have no time for this. Just lay there and let me take care of everything." Seeing how he was burned, he didn't have much choice. Steve just stayed there, thanking whatever intervention happened to save his life.

* * *

Christian and Adam appeared in Vickie's kitchen, stumbling. They looked around, unable to believe what happened. Vickie was there, and so was Chavo and Rey. "What happened?" Adam asked.

"Matt happened," Vickie said. Then, just as Vickie said his name, Matt appeared in the kitchen. His eyes were brown again, and he nearly collapsed. Christian caught him, wrapping his arms around his midsection. "He's exhausted," Vickie said, "He hasn't been eating or sleeping, and after everything he's been through... Matt, can you walk to my guest room? You can use the bed."

"Too... tired," Matt mumbled.

"It's okay; you've done enough," Christian said, "Wrap your arms around my shoulders. I'll carry you there." Matt did as he was told, and Christian lifted his knees, wrapping Matt's legs around his stomach. As soon as he did that, he could tell Matt was fast asleep, his head lolled on Christian's shoulder, and Christian could feel Matt's soft breaths on his neck. He carried Matt to the guest room and laid him down on the bed, smiling when he saw how peacefully he slept. He took off Matt's shoes and pulled the blanket over him, letting him stay fast asleep, trying to be quiet.

Adam watched from the door and, when Christian's eyes met his, he said, "You really do love him, don't you?"

Christian nodded. "I do."

Adam wrapped his arm around Christian, letting him lean his head against his shoulder. "What am I going to do with you two?"

Christian hugged him. "I'll take care of this issue between Matt and me. Don't worry about it. So, we're going to talk about what happened today eventually, right?"

Adam nodded. "But for now, we rest."

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


	24. Heart to Heart

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera, or anything remotely recognizable.**

**I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.**

**Okay, I'm on a roll here. Last chapter for Nightstalkers. Yeah, there will obviously be a sequel, and I might do a series that focuses on the other stories (Raven and Gangrel becoming demons, Vickie learning about her power, etc.), but I think this is the perfect place to end this chapter in the Nightstalkers saga. Once again, you all make writing these ass-long chapters worth it, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter.**

**Warnings: The usual**

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**Chapter Twenty-Four: Heart to Heart**

The man in the bandages squeezed his fists in frustration, unable to believe Mark could screw up so badly. He had no choice, it seemed. As much as the plan didn't satisfy him, he had to do what was best for his demon brethren, and for his true Master. Evan watched him and said, "Is something the matter?"

**"Mark ruined everything,"** he said,** "The Master's gone."**

Evan's small fists clenched, and he said, "Do you want me to kill him?" The man in the bandages laughed at that, unable to believe how much a short time could change him. Of course, Evan wasn't completely in his demonic side yet, but it was bleeding through.

**"No; that will be the Master's job."** He grabbed Evan's hand and squeezed it**. "Your job, my child, will just be to learn how to control that power of yours."**

"How?"

**"You'll have a teacher soon enough,"** he said. He knew Raven was, at that moment, seeking out Maryse. Even though he didn't get Matt yet, he at least got Raven. And, of course, he had all the other demons on his side.

Then there was Adam and Christian. He knew that killing them would be harder now, but they had to die. If he was going to see Matt's full potential, then he'd have to rip away everything Matt held dear to him. And as of now, that was a list of two people. But then again, he had a plan, and he was positive it could work.

If all went well, by the end of the year, they'd have a new demon Master.

*****************

"Looking for moi?" Raven turned around, seeing Maryse behind him. She giggled, twirling her hair in her fingers. "Oh, poor Raven, you had to find out the hard way about the failure of a Master we have. Too bad that bullet of Christian's didn't dig through his skull..."

"You said something about being tired of taking orders from a buffoon," Raven said sharply, cutting her off, "Well, so am I. I want in on whatever you have planned."

"Sounds good." Maryse winked. "We'll tell you everything, birdman, and no one will tell you not to question them. You'll have a few jobs, but, once Mark's gone... you'll feel the benefits."

"Speaking of benefits." Raven grabbed Maryse's wrist, causing her to giggle. "Is there any chance I can take you up on the offer you so kindly put forth when you first tried to recruit me?"

Maryse's eyes changed, becoming the eyes of the man Scott Levy once loved. "Well, never call me one to take back an offer," she said. After all, having a demon like Raven on their side was invaluable; she'd gladly keep him happy that night.

*************

After setting Matt down, Christian and Adam both took showers, changed into clothes Vickie provided for them, and went to sleep as well. It didn't take too long; both of them were exhausted, inside and out. Adam woke up in the middle of the day, getting up, careful not to wake up Christian. He walked to the living room and saw Vickie cooking something on the stove.

"Hey," he said. Vickie turned a little and said, "Right on time. Sit down; I know what you want to talk about."

Adam shook his head and sat at the table. "You know, can you at least pretend not to know everything?"

"I wish. I had a really random vision of a guy taking off his socks. I'll never know why I had to see that." Vickie turned up the flame on the stove and then sat at the table across from him. 'I can't tell you much, Adam. I'm sorry."

"You've got to have more than that," Adam said, "Okay, there's stuff you can't tell us because it might ruin the circle of life or something. I get that. But I just want to know about Christian and Matt. Their relationship can't be that important."

Vickie shook her head. "That's where you're wrong. I told Christian not to fall in love for a reason... there's a lot more to come. Christian's love for Matt will be twisted into a weapon to use against you and your friends."

"The only one who controls Christian's feelings is Christian," Adam said, "How can the demons possibly twist them into a weapon?

"I hope you'll never have to find out, Adam." There was a while of silence, and then Adam finally said, "I don't know what to do. I love them both, but... if I had seen it, maybe we could've stopped it. When Christian started having feelings for him, I could have done something..."

"I'm wondering if we could have done anything," Vickie admitted, "Christian started gaining feelings for Matt that first day he was in your house, when he cleaned the wounds on Matt's body. Matt just lost his family- he craved a new one, on he latched onto you two as brothers. Christian, on the other hand, always had family, and that's it. You and the other children in the orphanage, David Heath, Shawn and Hunter, who were like your surrogate parents... he didn't know it, but he wanted something other than family. And then Matt came into your lives."

Adam nodded; it was sheer perfect timing, not to mention how much Matt and Christian had in common. All the elements seemed poised for Christian to fall in love, and fall hard. And it was a liability. Even if Vickie hadn't given the ominous message, Adam knew how love got in the way of hunting. When Hunter and Shawn trained them, Shawn gave him a long speech on his sixteenth birthday about the dangers of relationships. Hunter was a little less cynical back then, but four years later, after his own relationship was crumbled by the business, he completely backed Shawn up.

Christian walked out of the room and saw Adam and Vickie at the table. "Hey, what's up?" he asked, completely ignorant of what just transpired between the two people.

"The ceiling," Adam said, pushing a chair out. Christian sat in it and leaned back, looking at the roof.

"You know, I thought I was going to die today." Christian rested his hands on the table. "It's the first time I ever really thought, damn, I'm going to die. And you know what? I was completely alright with it."

"Really?" Adam asked.

"You know, I wanted to get you and Matt out of there, but yeah, I was fine with dying. I thought I'd be more afraid, but all my fear was for you and Matt. I didn't even think about my self until a bullet slammed into my chest. By the way, that really fucking hurt."

"Try having your side chewed off," Adam said. "Oh dear God, I think it'll take years before I go near a dog again."

"Dogs, trees, midget demons... is there anything you aren't afraid of?" Christian asked jokingly. Adam grinned; his brother was back to his normal, silly monkey child self. He had no idea how long the calm would last, but he only hoped he wouldn't see mopey, 'I ruined everything because I love him' Christian. "So, how long were we asleep?"

"About twelve hours," Vickie answered.

"No wonder I'm so hungry. Please tell me that thing on the stove is for us."

Vickie chortled and said, "Yes. Relax; we've got a while ahead of us. But yes, I'll pour you some juice."

Christian smiled. "You've got to love that power of yours." As Vickie went to the fridge, Christian said, "So... Matt's awake?"

"Not that I know of," Adam said.

"Matt won't wake up for a long time," Vickie said casually, putting two cups in front of Adam and Christian. They, however, stared at her, confused.

"Why not?" Adam asked.

"He's exhausted, Adam. He's trying to regain his strength. Matt's awakened to his abilities, he hasn't been sleeping or eating, he can hardly control what he can do... Matt's going to sleep for a while. Don't worry, he's fine."

"If you say so..." Christian said, drinking the juice. It wasn't like he was looking forward to the eventual talk he knew he would have to have with Matt. "Hey, is there any way we could-"

"No, we cannot erase Matt's memories," Vickie said, going to turn off the stove.

"Well, it was worth a shot," Christian grumbled. Adam was about to say something, but Christian said, "Addy, I know. I know I have to handle this, I know this is my responsibility, I know. Just... don't say anything."

"How do you know that was what I was going to talk about?"

"It was," Vickie said, putting the meat she cooked on plates, pulling out the bread.

"Yeah, but he didn't know that."

The door opened, and Steve came in, followed by Eve, who was listening intently to what he was saying. She turned to everyone else and said, "Wow, this guy's a wealth of knowledge." Christian made a disbelieving sound, and Steve shot him a warning glare. "I mean, to have been through half of that... I don't think I could've survived it."

Steve grinned, patting her on the back. "You can heal. I don't think I can do that, girly."

"No, I don't think you can," Eve said, nodding.

"Just go to the table, girly!" Steve said, hitting her on the back a little more roughly than before, but not enough to hurt her. She went off to the table and Steve locked eyes with Adam. "What the fuck did you do with my bag?"

Adam blushed. "Um... well..."

"You killed my bag, didn't you?" Steve shook his head. "Fucking shit. Now I have to replace the stuff." Steve pulled out a chair and sat as well. "Where are the wonder twins?"

"Rey and Chavo are out doing an errand for me. They'll eat when they return." Vickie smiled at them before slowly bringing all the plates to the table. "Eat up!"

*****************

Matt was still asleep the next day, and the day after that. While both Christian and Adam trusted Vickie, they couldn't help but be worried about him. They asked if he needed food or anything, but Vickie assured them that she had things handled, and that Matt was perfectly fine.

Then, on the fourth day, Matt's eyes opened. He yawned and sat up, feeling better than he had in a while. He stood up, stretching, but then he looked down. The dark slime covered him in various places, there was dust and rubble all over him, and he was still wearing the clothes he had on since he ran from Adam and Christian. Then, in a rush, he started to remember the days leading up to his long nap.

He sat back down on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. Last thing he remembered was throwing up the black slime. Everything else was a blank. How the hell did they escape? What happened? Were his friends alive, or did something horrible happened?

"Hey, Matt's up!" Matt looked at the door and saw Eve, who smiled and turned around. "Guys! He's awake!"

In a couple of moments, Christian and Adam ran over to the door. They grinned, happy to see their partner up and moving. "Um... what happened, guys?" Matt asked. In seconds, their arms were around him, squeezing him, not caring about the general muck on Matt. Matt groaned and said, "Come on, get off of me!" They kept holding him, and Matt said, "Come on!"

"You don't get to sleep for three days and just get off easy," Adam said.

"Three days?" They moved back, looking at him. "I was asleep for three days?"

Christian nodded. "Vickie says you were just regaining your strength, though. So... no dreams?"

Matt shook his head. "Thank God. I don't have such a great history with dreams, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Adam said, remembering how the tree wrapped itself around his ankle. He shivered; it wasn't something he liked to think about.

"So, can you guys fill in some blanks?" Matt asked, "I remember throwing up, but it's all blank from there." Matt looked at both of them expectantly, but neither knew how to begin to explain what happened.

"Maybe it's best we wait until after dinner," Adam answered. Matt was about to argue when his stomach agreed with Adam by rumbling loudly. Christian laughed and pulled Matt up. "Come on, you should get a shower or something, and then, after we're all cleaned and fed, we'll talk."

"About everything?" Matt asked, letting his face tell Christian that the conversation they needed to have still weighed on his mind.

Christian's smile became forced, and he said, "About _everything_."

*****************

The shower was amazing for Matt; he hadn't relaxed in a long time, and, although his mind was still racing with thoughts, he was grateful for the momentary refuge. After getting dressed, he ate dinner with Vickie, Rey, Chavo, Steve, Eve, Adam, and Christian. Chavo tried to lecture Steve about drinking, but he just laughed and took a long gulp of the vodka he had. Eve seemed to adjust to living there quickly; she and Rey were fast friends, and even Chavo loosened up when Eve talked to him. The whole dinner was so light hearted that Matt almost felt like he didn't belong here, especially considering how hectic life had become.

Only the looks Vickie sent his way, sympathetic and sad, reminded him that everyone at this table was, like him, looking for asylum from their problems, even if only for a while.

After all the food was gone, Vickie said, "Matt, Adam, Christian- please come to the living room with me." They could all tell it was time for the talk, the one they all dreaded and secretly couldn't wait to have at the same time. The others looked like they wanted to follow, to support, but Steve said, "Leave them be. It's their business, hear?" Rey just nodded their way, showing he supported them, and Eve smiled softly.

In the living room, Vickie sat down, and the boys all followed her lead. Matt started the conversation off, asking, "What happened down there?"

Adam was the one to answer, telling him everything that happened once Raven dragged him and Christian to Mark's chamber. Matt kept listening, wondering how he could have done all of that. He couldn't imagine acting like that, saying the things he supposedly said, but from the look in his companions' eyes, he knew that they were being completely honest with him.

"How could I not remember any of that?" Matt asked, looking at Vickie, "How could I have lost so much of..."

"Matt, you weren't aware of anything," Vickie answered, "The two sides in you, the human and the Demon Master, went to battle, and your mind couldn't handle it. Your sanity slipped. And for a second, they were two separate people- your future and your past, fighting for dominance in your body. The human side won that battle, but by promising the Demon Master the war. One day, your promise will come to pass; you'll have to completely give into your destiny."

Matt nodded; although he didn't like the sound of that, he couldn't see any other way that Christian and Adam would have left that place alive. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he didn't know how to word them. He wanted to apologize, to assure Christian and Adam that they meant everything to him. He finally said, "Look, about... about what I said, I..."

Christian grabbed Matt's shoulder. "You don't have to say anything. The things you said, if you really meant them... I understand. Things haven't been fair, and you have been lied to. But I promise, from here on out, I'm going to be completely honest with you. I can't change what's already been done, but I can fix things in front of us."

"And please, don't blame your mother," Vickie added, "I know, she didn't do things as best as she could... but she was given a bad situation, and she did what she could with it. Matt, she tried."

"I'm just tired of it," Matt replied, "I'm tired of being in the dark, of having to find out the truth the wrong way. I'm tired of the lies. Just, for once, I don't want to be in the dark. I never want to be surprised like that again." Matt looked directly at Christian when he said that, and Christian looked away, feeling ashamed. "I never want to look back and think that, if I only knew, I could have... I could have done something."

"You couldn't do anything," Vickie said, "You did the best you could with what you were given, and you've done well. You might have made mistakes, but you have saved lives. You've done good. And you've just lowered the chances of the future we saw happening."

"By how much?"

"It's now a fifty fifty shot, but before, it was about a seventy. Matt, you've given me hope. And with what I see, hope is a rare thing to come by."

"But there's a half chance the world goes to hell," Matt argued.

"And there's a half chance it doesn't." Vickie smiled, "You three will face so many hardships, so many challenges, but I think you will rise and meet the challenge nicely. And you have allies, many who will stand with you."

"What next?" Adam asked, changing the subject, "What do we do now?"

"The original plan, Adam. Go west. Go help destroy demons who're trying to take advantage of the chaos." Vickie smiled at them, trying to show she supported them. "Everything that needs to happen will happen there. Just remember everything you've been taught, and remember how much you all care about each other, and you will have a chance." Then, she stood up. "Adam, could you help me clear the dishes for the dishwasher?"

Adam looked at Christian and Matt, worried about them, wanting to do something for the two men he thought of as brothers, but he knew it was just between them. He left with her wordlessly, hoping things would be alright between them.

"How long?" Matt said.

"How long what, Matt?"

"Don't play stupid with me, Christian." Christian looked at Matt, and he could tell Matt was all business. "How long have you felt this way? About me, I mean."

"I knew since the day you met Vickie," Christian tried to keep looking at Matt, but it was difficult; he felt like a child again, unable to look at his father as he told him he didn't do his homework or stole from his wallet. "But I think I luh- had feelings for you since the day we met." He couldn't bring himself to say the L word anymore; it felt like he was betraying Matt now.

"That was months ago, Christian," Matt said, "How could you have known for months and not told me? We've slept in the same bed, we've talked alone so many times... Christian, I _trusted _you. I trusted you more than anyone, than even Adam, and you lied to me."

"I had to," Christian said, "I wanted, no, I needed to tell you. It ate away at me, Matt, and I wanted nothing more than to tell you everything. But you probably got the speech about relationships from Adam, and Vickie told me I couldn't fall in love... Matt, what was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to be my best friend," Matt answered.

"_I was!_" Christian shouted, "I was your best friend, even though I wanted so much more. I denied myself the thing I wanted the most all because I cared about you... and then it wasn't enough! You still ended up down there. You still ended up at Mark's mercy. And I was stuck knowing that it was all my fault... Damn it!" Christian's eyes, brimming with tears, begged Matt for understanding. "I'm sorry I lied to you, but everything I did, I did for you."

Matt's heart panged, looking at Christian. He still felt angry, but Christian was the first person to truly make him feel human after he lost Jeff and Gil. Matt still considered him his best friend, and seeing him sad hurt him. Matt grabbed Christian's hand and said, "Promise me you'll be upfront with me from now on. Completely. I want no secrets between us."

"I promise," Christian said.

"And... Christian, I care about you. I really do. But I don't think I could ever return those feelings." Christian tried not to let it show, but his heart broke when he heard those words. He was sure that was the case, but knowing the truth inside and hearing it acknowledged were two different things.

"Matt, I'm going to try to get over this," Christian said, squeezing his hand, "I'm going to try to put this crush behind me."

"Do you really think you could do that?" Matt asked quietly.

"I'm going to try," Christian repeated. Matt smiled softly and pulled Christian into a hug. "I'm always going to be your friend," Matt whispered, and Christian put his arms around him too. Friends, that was all they were going to ever be. And Christian was going to have to try to find a way to get used to it.

Matt and Christian rejoined the group, and it was obvious by their all too innocent looking expressions that they couldn't help but overhearing. Matt grinned and said, "So, Adam, need help?" Adam returned the smile as best as he could and took Matt up on the offer. Christian was about to offer up his services too, but Steve stopped him. "You know," he whispered, "It's none of my business, but... I don't think the best way to start this 'no lying' thing is by lying to him."

Christian stared at Matt, unable to stop thinking about how much he cared about him. "I said I'd try," he whispered back.

Steve shook his head. "Good luck, kid." Christian gulped. Trying was one story, but succeeding was another. And that was something he wasn't entirely sure he could do.

******************

Steve was gone the next morning. He left a note, telling the boys he went out west, unable to stay down for long. In fact, Steve felt the massive need to redeem himself after not being able to kill Kane down in the Demon Realm, and out west was the best place to do it. There was also a phone there for the boys, and Steve told them to never be afraid to call him.

Steve's note and secret leave made Adam, Christian, and Matt realize they couldn't stay in Vickie's much longer. They couldn't keep living so peacefully, not when there were demons on the loose. They were going back to the house to pick up some things, and then they would finally go to North Dakota and meet up with Hunter and Shawn.

The goodbyes went quickly. Nobody wanted them to be sadder than they had to be. After all the farewells, Vickie went up and gave each of them last hugs. "Be careful," she said, "Keep watching each others' backs, and I believe everything will turn out fine."

"Yeah, we're just trying to avoid a major catastrophe from happening," Adam said, and Christian and Matt laughed a little. Not the funniest thing ever, but all three welcomed folding back into something that resembled normal eagerly.

"But no pressure," Vickie said. She knew she couldn't be completely optimistic, knowing what they were going to face out there, but at least things weren't as hopeless as they looked months ago.

Vickie returned inside, and the boys knew there was no turning back now. The world of demons was waiting for them to return.

Adam went to the front, but Matt stopped him. "Hey, do you think I could drive?" Matt asked. Adam was caught off guard by the request, but then he gave Matt the keys and sat shotgun. Christian sat in the back and clapped both Matt and Adam's shoulders.

"Here we go again," Christian said. "You ready?"

"No," Matt said, "But I'm going to do it anyway."

"Ditto," Adam replied.

"Then we're all in agreement. Let's go."

**To be Continued...**

**Reviews deeply appreciated**


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